Fragments of Life
by delusionment
Summary: Companion piece to “The Parent Trap.” Time flows continuously, just like water. All of them cherished those moments in life because happiness was elusive.
1. The Young and the Chaotic

AN: Welcome to the first chapter of "Fragments of Life," the companion piece to my other story, "The Parent Trap." You don't have to read the other story, but it still would be a good idea because then you would be able to grasp the OCs a lot better. You'd be able to find out who their parents are, their looks and their personalities. It would also be easier to calculate the ages of the characters. As a hint, the other story takes place in 2043. That's it for now, so go on and read!

(-- --)

Chapter 1

The Young and the Chaotic

**(July 8, 2029, Sunday)**

It was summer. A heat wave was in full session, and it felt like that blasting the air conditioner and electric fans weren't enough. It was Sunday and a day off for most people. The group had kids, and if they wanted to spend time together, they would have to bring the kids as well.

Devlin was ten. Kyra was seven. Mondo was six. Stella was five. Luna was four. Richard was three. Lotte and Lisa were one. Having them together in the same room was a living nightmare. They were young, but rambunctious.

The men always came up with excuses to get out of taking care of the kids. The women were the ones who were troubled from the chaos. It wasn't a problem for Franziska to control them. All she had to do was crack her whip and yell at them to shut up. But even Franziska lost control sometimes. Richard was already a rascal when he was three. During one babysitting session, Franziska commanded all of the kids to be quiet. They obeyed until Richard pointed at his mother, laughed and said, "Haha! Mommy fool! Mommy fool!" She went livid.

Today was particularly bad. Franziska and Ema were on duty.

"Kyra, stop jumping on the couch!" yelled Devlin. "I'm gonna tell Mom and you're gonna get in trouble!"

Kyra ignored her brother and clamped her hands over her ears. "La la la la la la la! I can't hear you! La la la la la la!"

On the floor, Mondo and Stella were arguing over a Monopoly game, tugging the box back and forth.

"It's my game! Let go!" screamed Stella.

"No, it's mine!" shouted Mondo.

"Mine!"

"Mine!"

"Mine!"

"Mine!"

"_Mine!"_

"_Mine!"_

In their struggle for the box, they flung it to the side. The paper money and game pieces scattered along the floor. They stared at it for a second before resuming their argument.

"It's your fault!"

"No, yours!"

"Yours!"

"Yours!"

"Yours!"

"Yours!"

"Yours!"

"_Yours!"_

"_Yours!"_

On the other side of the room, Luna and Richard were sitting on the floor, calmly painting Edgeworth's chess set with watercolors. In the other room, Lotte and Lisa were crying from all of the commotion.

"Franziska! Do something!" yelled Ema as she tried calming Lisa by bouncing her around.

Franziska stopped trying to calm Lotte down and put the crying child into the play pen. She stormed out of the bedroom and into the living room to witness the whole debacle. She snapped her fingers at Kyra.

"Kyra, _sit down_!" she ordered.

After one more jump, Kyra's feet slipped on the cushions, her butt landing softly on the couch.

"Haha! You got in trou~ble!" sang Devlin.

"Shut up, Devlin!" yelled Kyra. She picked up a pillow and smacked her brother with it. Laughing, Devlin climbed up onto the couch and walked on the cushions as Kyra followed after him, trying to hit him.

Ema came out of the room holding Lisa. "Kyra! Devlin! Get down from there!"

"Look Auntie Franziska! We made 'em pretty!" said Luna, holding up one of the chess pieces. It was formally a white piece now dyed in green.

Franziska ran a hand through her hair. She cursed under her breath. Unfortunately, her son heard her.

"Oooooooooh! You said a bad word!" Richard exclaimed, pointing at his mother.

"No pointing, Richard!"

"Mondo! Stella! Look at this mess!" shouted Ema.

"I'm home!" called out Edgeworth from the foyer.

"Dad!" yelled Richard, running over his father.

Edgeworth froze when he entered the living room. Kyra was still chasing after her brother with a pillow. Mondo and Stella were ignoring Ema and still fighting. He noticed the pieces of his chess set were on the floor and different shades of color.

"Miles--" began Franziska.

"Mommy said a bad word!" yelled Richard. He pointed at his mother and said, "She's a fool!"

Edgeworth grabbed Richard's face and squeeze his cheeks so he looked like a fish. He forced his son to look at him and glowered. "Don't ever call your mother that," he ordered coolly. Though his face was calm, his eyes flashed dangerously. "Do you understand, Richard Gregory Edgeworth?"

The boy nodded slowly. Edgeworth let go of his son and began to storm over to Mondo and Stella.

"You can't catch me! Nya~!" taunted Devlin as Kyra chased after him. He jumped down from the couch and landed on the monopoly pieces and paper money on the hardwood floor. They slipped from under his feet, and Devlin lost his balance. A loud crack was heard.

And that is how Devlin Noah Gumshoe broke his arm.

The first time.

* * *

Hello again!

Now I got the idea of this first chapter by remembering something. When siblings are young, they fight and hate each other. They always try to see if their brother or sister is doing something bad and then tell on them. But when siblings get older, they tend to stop fighting and become closer to band against the parents. It's true, really. So while in "The Parent Trap," siblings like Devlin and Kyra are really chill with each other, they probably fought a lot as kids. The same goes for Mondo, Stella, and Luna, but Mondo and Stella still kind of fight, but more in the playful sense.

Richard still is cheeky, isn't he? :)

Reading over "The Parent Trap," I never stated Devlin's full name so I decided to here. Originally, I wasn't sure how to end the chapter until I remembered that Devlin inherited some of his mother's bad luck so this is how the ending came about.

That's it for now, so thanks for reading!


	2. Valentine's Day

(-- --)

Chapter 2

Valentine's Day

**(February 13, 2036, Wednesday)**

Mothers do the craziest things to make their kids happy.

This particular year, Ema's seven year old daughters Lotte and Lisa asked her to bake them several batches of cookies so they could give them to their classmates tomorrow for Valentine's Day. In addition to these cookies, the twins wanted to give extra cookies to their cousins and Richard, Devlin, and Kyra. And in addition to that, Lisa asked her mother to make an extra special cookie because she wanted to give to her male teacher, who she had a tiny crush on.

So here was Ema Gavin, baking cookies the day before Valentine's Day. The twins did spring the request on her that day, and though irritated, she complied, spending all day baking chocolate cookies from scratch. Things would have gone a little bit faster if the twins helped, but they were forbidden from helping around in the kitchen, especially since they made a fiasco out of their apple pie, but that's a whole other story.

There were thirty students in Lotte and Lisa's class, and double of that was sixty. Then there were the cookies for the other kids, and Ema figured it would be two dozen for each family. (She felt like a dozen for _each_ kid would be too much.) That was a hundred thirty-two total. Then were was Lisa's special cookie. That was a hundred thirty-three. And Ema couldn't forget that her kids and her husband would want some, and she could figure out how much more to bake for them.

It was 8:00 pm. Ema was so busy baking, she sent her daughters to have dinner with Edgeworth's family. The entire kitchen was covered in chocolate chip cookies. There was a small space open on the counter for Ema to mix the ingredients together; even then, the counter was a mess. There were drops of egg whites and chocolate chips scattered around.

"_Achtung!_" said Klavier.

Startled, Ema dropped the wooden spoon with a yelp. She picked it up and glared at her husband casually leaning against the doorway.

"This place is a mess," he commented, striding in.

"Yeah, well..."

Klavier moved the bowl of cookie dough away from Ema and turned her around so she would properly face her. He tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "You're a mess, too. Your hair's not brushed, dark circles under your eyes, and chocolate on your face--"

"Where are you going with this?" she asked.

He grinned. "You're still stunning." He leaned forward to kiss her, relishing the taste of chocolate and cookie dough on her lips. "And you taste sweet."

Ema smiled, licking her lips. "And you're a smooth talker. But I love you."

"Do you want me help you?"

"Would you?!"

Klavier swooped in for one more kiss before putting on an apron. "Does this mean it'll be twice as fun tomorrow night?"

Ema stopped stirring cookie dough to look at her husband. "Klavier!"

He smirked. "What? It's not like it's immoral. We are married."

"We're also parents whose seven year old daughters sleep just down the hall."

"So what, we're not going to do anything tomorrow?"

Ema smirked. "Not unless you want to do something tomorrow during our lunch break," she replied.

It was Klavier's turned to look at his wife. "Did I ever _mention_ that I love you?"

"Mm. You've been mentioning it since we met."

"Well, I still do."

"I bet."

"You don't believe me? How about I prove it to you right now?"

"Whatever you're thinking of, the answer is no. Not in front of all of this food."

"Last time I checked, food didn't have eyes."

"Oh shut up and just mix this."

Klavier pressed a kiss to Ema's temple before taking the bowl of cookie dough. "Yes, Mrs. Gavin."

"Thank you, Mr. Gavin."

They heard the lock turn and sure enough, the twins came bursting into the house, happily bounding into the kitchen.

"Hi Mommy! Hi Daddy!"

"_Hallo, Mädchen_," greeted Klavier.

"Wow! These look so good!" said Lotte, sniffing the cookies.

"Uh huh!" added Lisa.

"Girls, if you want me to do something as big as this, then please tell me beforehand," said Ema.

"But we did tell you beforehand!" answered the younger twin.

"Don't do it the day before you want it ready! Please tell me a few days before."

The twins' faces fell. "Oh well. Maybe we shouldn't ask you now…"

"Ask me what?"

"We were going to ask you to help us with our book report," said Lisa.

"It's due tomorrow," said Lotte.

Ema wanted to throw something.

* * *

Happy Valentine's Day!

Yeah, I don't have much to say about this piece. I imagined the cookie filled kitchen like the way there were cupcakes everywhere in that one part from _The Stepford Wives_ remake.

That's all for now!


	3. Trauma

(-- --)

Chapter 3

Trauma

**(March 12, 2045, Sunday)**

Apollo let out a low whistle as he moved past his sister and into her house. For a house, it was rather small. It reminded him of one of the small and narrow houses in England. It was a two-story house, and it would be quite cozy once all the boxes were unpacked.

"Wow. Not bad," said Apollo.

"I know, right?" said Trucy with a smile.

"It's a little small, though."

"Oh, I think it is fine for a newlywed couple."

"Trucy, you got married two years ago."

"So?" Trucy moved around the stacks of boxes. "Do you want some tea?"

"Yeah, sure." Apollo followed after his sister, maneuvering around the boxes and into the kitchen. "Have you been doing all of the unpacking?"

"Uh huh. I have to since Aidan is at work," commented Trucy. She poured some hot water into two cups and added a tea bag to both.

Aidan Nadia was Trucy's husband. He was thirty-five, a year older than his wife. He was a journalist. They met four years ago when Aidan was asked by his boss to interview Trucy. At the very end of the interview, Aidan quickly asked her out. It was obvious that he was quite taken with her. Two years later on December 20, 2043, they got married. Now Trucy Wright-Nadia was a month pregnant with her first child.

"Is that okay for the baby?"

"It's fine. I just can't lift anything very heavy." Trucy sat down and sighed, massaging her lower back. "I haven't done much unpacking today though. I feel so tired, and I've been hurting lately."

Apollo sat down at the table. "You should take some aspirin and lie down."

She chuckled weakly. "That's what I was doing before you came here." She shifted in her seat uncomfortably, trying to massage her pelvis now.

"Maybe I shouldn't have come."

Trucy shook her head. "No, no! I'm fine, Polly! Really!" She got up from her seat to walk to the refrigerator.

Apollo noticed something bright red streaming down Trucy's thighs. "Trucy, you're bleeding!" he exclaimed.

"Huh?"

He got up from his seat and grabbed his sister by the arm. "We have to go to the hospital, _now_."

Trucy clutched her lower stomach and winced. "Polly, I'm fine!"

"You're not fine. Let's go."

(-- --)

DING.

Once the metal doors of the elevator opened, Phoenix rushed out and into the hospital lobby where he found Apollo sitting in a chair, his face buried in his hands. Apollo had sent him a cryptic message. "Trucy's in the hospital. Come soon." A million things ran through his mind. Did she get into a car accident? Was she seriously hurt? Was she in danger of dying?

"I got your message. What's wrong with Trucy?" asked Phoenix.

Apollo closed his eyes for a moment before answering, "…Trucy had a miscarriage."

"Is she okay?"

"She's fine now. The doctor says she'll be able to get pregnant again, but I doubt she will for a while. She's pretty broken up about it," explained Apollo.

Phoenix pursed his lips together and let out a sigh of relief. His daughter wasn't in any immediate danger. That's what mattered most. He did want grandchildren, but not at the expense of her life. "What about Aidan?"

"I just talked to him. He's on his way." Apollo got up from the chair. "Come on. I'll take you to her."

They walked down the hallway. Apollo opened the door to a room and he and Phoenix stepped inside. Trucy was lying on the bed on her side, clutching her stomach. The traces of her usual smile were gone. Her face was twisted into anguish and horror.

"Trucy?" Phoenix called softly. "Honey?"

Trucy looked up at her father before laying her head back onto the pillow. Phoenix pulled up a chair to her bedside and sat down. He took on of her hands into his. "I…I lost my baby…" she whispered in agony. "My baby…" Her tears fell freely. She didn't bother to hide her sadness behind a strong face. "Daddy, it hurts…it hurts so much…"

Phoenix kissed her hand. "I know, honey. I know… Just go to sleep for now…"

It was torture in that room. Apollo and Phoenix sat in silence, listening to Trucy's sobs. Yes, Trucy could have another child, but it wouldn't be like the one she lost. She and Aidan would never have the opportunity to hold that baby and dress it up. They would never be able to watch it grow up into a fine, young man or a beautiful girl. They would never be able to send him or her off to college, get married and have kids. That hurt so much more that the physical pain.

Trucy was just starting to fall asleep when her husband came in. Phoenix got up so Aidan could take his place and comfort his wife. On the way out, Phoenix grabbed Apollo and dragged him outside, closing the door behind him.

"What?" asked Apollo.

"I have a request."

"Like what?"

"I don't want Pearl, Maggey, Ema, Lana, Vera, and Franziska to visit Trucy," answered Phoenix. "In addition, I don't want any of the kids visiting her either."

"Why? They have every right to visit her."

"Your sister just had a miscarriage. I think it would only upset Trucy to see women whose pregnancies were successful, hence, that is why the kids can't visit either," replied Phoenix. "They can't sympathize with Trucy. All of them are intelligent women, but I'm afraid they might say the wrong thing when trying to comfort her. They can visit once she becomes a lot more stable."

Apollo sighed. "You're right. I'll pass the word along."

(-- --)

**(March 13, 2045, Monday)**

Trucy looked down at the blankets of the hospital bed and sighed. She had spent most of her time last night crying. Aidan had crawled into the bed to hold her, and together they mourned the loss of their first child. She was going to be released today, and honestly, she didn't want to go. She and Aidan had prepared a nursery in their new house, and she wasn't sure if she could bear the sight of it.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in!" she said.

Apollo opened the door and smiled. "Hey, how are you?"

Trucy shook her head.

"Ah well…I just wanted to drop something off before I head to work." Apollo handed his sister a card.

Trucy opened it up and was overwhelmed. It was originally a blank card, but it was filled with everyone wishing her to get well. She could recognize her father's messy handwriting, Franziska's fancy cursive, and Lisa's fine print. They were words of encouragement to keep smiling and feel better. She saw Vera's smiley faces drawn along the border of the card.

On the left side, Diana drew a picture of Trucy and Aidan. Underneath, Trucy read the girl's message saying, "Get well soon, Auntie Trucy!" There was an arrow next to it, and in Richard's handwriting it said, "You're such a suck up, Diana." There was an arrow next to that message, and in Diana's handwriting, she countered with, "Am not!" There was another arrow and Richard wrote, "Don't deny it." Another arrow and Diana wrote, "You meanie!" There was another arrow and a smiley face before Richard finally wrote, "Love you, too, Diana."

Trucy smiled softly. With the knowledge that her friends and family were supporting her, Trucy felt like the weight on her shoulders was now a little less painful.

(-- --)

**(June 4, 2047, Tuesday)**

Trucy tapped her fingers on the counter impatiently. She continuously glanced at the white stick until she began to see something appear. She snatched it up, watching her results appear before her very eyes. She blinked a few times and looked up at her reflection in the mirror. She shakily took it out of the bathroom and into the living room where Aidan was reading the newspaper.

"Aidan?" she called, her voice trembling.

He looked back at her. "What is it, honey?"

She showed him the stick. "It's positive."

He blinked a few times before throwing the newspaper away to jump over the back of the couch so he could kiss his wife and then her belly.

* * *

Yes, the miscarriage was the _snag_ in Trucy's plan. In "The Parent Trap" epilogue, I was originally going to say, "And after suffering from a miscarriage, Trucy was finally pregnant." But I changed it because I felt that I was saying it so casually. Miscarriage is no laughing matter, and it should not be taken with so lightly. It can be pretty traumatizing, especially if it happens to the point where the woman can't have another baby. So, I decided that I wanted to develop the matter more. I think this piece turned out pretty well.

And yay, we finally learn the name of Trucy's husband, who was previously an unidentified OC. His name (Aidan Nadia) is a palindrome. I wanted it to be a pun on an expression (similar to Winston Payne and Luke Atmey). There is a Phoenix Wright casebook manga, and in one of the stories, Phoenix gets a client whose name is Ian Knottworthy. I was going to use that name, but I wanted to be original and use my own, but I couldn't think of any so I decided to go ahead with a palindrome name instead.

That's all folks!


	4. The Edgeworths

(-- --)

Chapter 4

The Edgeworths

**(April 6, 2043, Monday)**

What shocked everyone was that Richard Edgeworth and Luna Marshall were in the principal's office for fighting in the hallways.

Richard was so laid back and level headed, that no one would expect him to start a fight. Luna was so sweet and adamantly avoided any drama, so no one would expect her to punch someone in the face. But as they sat in the principal's office, listening to the principal and the dean lecture on the proper behavior for handling a confrontation, they showed no signs of regret. If there was a reason as to why Richard and Luna were fighting, there was one. Richard's was nobler than Luna's, however.

It all started about twenty minutes ago in the hallway. School had just ended, and students were socializing in the hallways. Richard and Luna were among them. Richard was at his locker waiting for the twins to arrive so he could drive them home. Luna was passing by and started up a conversation. About five minutes into their chat, they overheard a couple of junior guys talking pretty loudly around the corner.

"Hey, have you ever seen that freshman girl? Gavin's her name."

"Dude, there are two Gavin girls."

"Yeah, but they look the same. They're pretty hot, dontcha think?"

"Not bad to look at. They're only fresh meat. They'll fill out soon enough."

"What's the name of the younger twin? Y'know, the one that's super smart."

"Tch, I dunno."

"Bet she's a freak in bed."

"I hear ya. All those nerdy girls are all the same. They may look quiet, but they gotta be freaks in bed."

"I wouldn't mind havin' a go at her."

Richard clenched his fist. He moved to confront the guys when Luna grabbed him by his uniform jacket and pulled him back.

"Don't Richard! It's not worth it!" she whispered fiercely.

Luna trembled slightly when Richard glowered down at her. He was just as frightening as his father when angered.

"Do you not hear them?!" he demanded. "They're talking about your cousins!"

"I know that! But those morons over there would never be able to lay a finger on them! The twins are both smarter than that! You know that they would never look twice at pigs like them!"

Luna didn't blame Richard for getting pissed off. Hell, she was pretty pissed herself. Richard thought of the twins like little sisters. They grew up together and from the closeness of their family, they were just as good as siblings. Those guys were talking about the twins with disrespect. They couldn't even remember their names. Lotte and Lisa were not sluts at their school. They didn't wear short skirts and unbutton their shirts to the point where their breasts were showing. They were in no way tools to inflate the egos of sex crazy boys who couldn't even control their hormones.

"If she's a real freak in bed, then maybe she's let us have a go at her at the same time," said one of the guys.

Richard cursed and tore off Luna's hands from his jacket. He rushed around the corner and tackled one of the guys to the ground and began throwing punches at him. The whole hallway erupted into screams as they all gathered around. "Fight! Fight!" they yelled. The guy's friend laughed and watched while Luna tried to pull Richard off. It was no easy task. Richard was much taller and more built than her.

When Luna finally pulled him off, Richard was panting. He pointed to the guy on the ground. "Don't you _fucking_ dare touch Lotte and Lisa, you hear me?!" yelled Richard.

"Let it go, Richard!" said Luna. "Come on."

They were about to push past the crowd when the guy's friend drawled, "Well, if it ain't Luna Marshall! I wouldn't mind havin' a go at you, too."

Luna whirled around furiously and without a second thought, she punched the guy in the face. With no one to restrain him, Richard jumped back into the fight. The students around them became rowdy again, cheering and urging on the fight until teachers came in to break it up.

And that is how Richard and Luna ended up in the principal's office with bruised knuckles.

"--I don't understand why kids have to use their fists to solve their problems! You go to a teacher if you have a conflict!" lectured the principal.

Richard sat up, his face bored. "Ooh, yeah, because that really helps – _tattling_. _"Oh teacher, someone was talking shit about my friends and disrespecting them! Please go out and take care of it because I obviously can't fight my own battles!"_" He scoffed. "Are we done here?"

"No, we are not, Mr. Edgeworth. Stay seated. This is a very serious offense!"

"Miss Marshall, I'm ashamed of you," added the dean. "I never expected you would be brawling in the halls!"

"We had a perfectly good reason for--" began Luna.

"And I'm sure it was very noble," interrupted the dean. "But it doesn't change the fact that you were fighting in school!"

"Can you just give me my punishment?" asked Richard. "I'm sick of hearing you preach."

The principal opened his mouth to say something when there was a knock at the door. The secretary came in. "Sir, Mr. and Mrs. Edgeworth and Mr. Marshall are here."

Luna smirked. If it was her father, she wouldn't have to worry about being lectured by him. (Although she knew that would be yelled at once her mother got home.) She glanced at Richard who still held the same indifferent look in his face.

"Send them in."

Edgeworth, Franziska, and Jake came into the office. Richard could see the way his father's eyes were gleaming dangerously, just like the way they used to whenever he did something wrong as a kid. His mother was absolutely fuming, but she kept quiet. He was certain that once they were alone, she would start yelling at him in German and English. "Fool" would definitely be abused throughout her speech. Richard secretly wished his parents would be more like Jake. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, and he was whistling. Richard knew that Jake wouldn't yell at his daughter. He would probably laugh and ask how the fight went. Phoenix would do the same.

"I assume you know what happened?" asked the principal.

"Yes," answered Franziska through gritted teeth.

"I've decided that Luna and Richard will be suspended from school for three days. Then they will serve morning and afternoon detentions for the rest of the week," replied the principal. "You're excused."

Luna rolled her eyes as she got up. Sure enough, her father put an arm around his daughter's shoulders and laughed. "All right, Bambina. Tell me all about it."

"Well, what happened was--"

Richard glanced up at his parents. His mother pointed at the door. "_Außerhalb jetzt_," she ordered.

The boy got up and strode casually out the door. He expected his mother to slap him at that point but she did nothing.

"Richard, take your car and drive home. We'll talk more there," said Edgeworth.

"And the twins?" he asked.

"I told Ema that you wouldn't be able to drive them home. I gave her a break from work so she could pick them up."

"Fine."

Richard was almost out of the office when his mother called out, "Don't take us for fools, Richard! Don't you dare make any side trips going home!"

(-- --)

They got home the same time. Richard went inside and plopped down onto the couch. When his parents came in to join him, he leisurely waved and said, "All right. Let's hear it. Let's see if this lecture can bore as much as the old man principal."

Edgeworth crossed his arms and frowned. "Hmph. You're a cocky bastard."

Richard looked directly into his father's eyes and answered, "I've gotten that from you."

"You're rude, as well," added Franziska. "We did not raise you to be like this!"

"_You_ tried to raise me to be perfect," the boy answered coolly.

"We did not," said Edgeworth through gritted teeth.

"Yes, you did. You're just not aware of it. _"Richard, you have to be the best."_" Richard scoffed. "Parents don't even realize that they push their kids towards perfection." He glanced between his parents. "It's even worse since I have the blood of von Karma through me. _"To be perfect in every way…"_ That's the von Karma family creed, isn't it?"

Franziska paled. She always knew that her family's name would come back to haunt her. It took many, many years for her to dissipate the ways of "perfection." She had her husband to thank for that.

"Y-you--!"

"And you shouldn't even try to lecture me on fighting, Mom," answered Richard. "It'll just make you look like a hypocrite--"

_**SLAP!**_

"Franziska!" yelled Edgeworth, grabbing his wife by the wrist.

Franziska panted heavily as her hand tingled and burned. Richard reached up to touch his reddened cheek. It was the first time Franziska ever slapped anyone with her hand. She usually had her whip do all the talking for her. She would never have physically slapped a person like a foolish _barbarian_!

"How dare you?!" she screamed. "You insult my family name and then you insult me, your own mother?! You foolish, ungrateful child!" She tore her wrist away from her husband and stormed into her bedroom, slamming the door shut.

"Richard," began Edgeworth, sitting down on the coffee table across from his son, "why did you say that?"

"Dad! Don't you know about what the von Karma family did?!" demanded Richard. "Manfred von Karma, Mom's father killed your father!"

"I know that. But that was just Manfred. Don't associate your grandfather's sins with the rest of the von Karma family," replied Edgeworth. "_And_ do not insult the von Karma family."

"Dad--"

"Listen to me, Richard. The von Karma family may not chase perfection anymore, but they're still considered as family. Think about your aunt. Think about your cousin. Keep that in mind."

"But Dad, don't you feel any animosity towards Manfred von Karma?"

"To an extent, yes. He did kill my father, but I am grateful to him for taking me in."

"What about his teachings?"

"They were wrong. I know now that perfection is not everything. No one can be perfect."

Richard smirked. "Yeah, I know. I heard from Uncle Larry that you couldn't fold a paper crane."

Edgeworth scowled. "I'm going to kill Larry for telling that story." He nodded towards the master bedroom. "Go apologize to your mother while I go kill Larry."

Richard nodded. "I'll tell her to prosecute your case while I'm at it." He walked over to the master bedroom and opened it up a crack. His mother was sitting at the foot of her bed. "Mom?" he called quietly. She made no move of acknowledgement. "Mom?" He walked to Franziska, kneeling in front of her. "_Liebste Mutter_…"

Franziska peered at him through the strands of her bangs. "You haven't called me that for a very long time."

"Mom, I wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Her lips curled up slightly. "I know you are. Richard, you're my son, and I obviously have to love you--"

"Do you?" asked Richard with amusement.

"Don't be a fool. Of course I do," snapped Franziska. "Don't ever make a remark like that about family ever again. It may seem foolish, especially coming from me, but family is very important."

"I understand…"

"Mm…" Franziska smoothed out her son's hair and kissed his forehead. "You look so much like your father."

"So people have said," remarked Richard.

"But you're like Kyra. You're not like your parents at all."

"I don't think that's true. I think I'm equally condescending as you and Dad."

"Perhaps worse." Franziska surveyed Richard's face. "Your grandfather would _despise_ you."

"Oh, yeah?" Richard laughed.

"You're everything he loathes. Imperfect, rude, laidback, no discipline, careless… If you were living under his roof, he'd beat you everyday with his cane."

"Then it's a good thing he's never met me."

"I guess so." Franziska chuckled. "I remember when you were a child, your father and I used to bring you to the courthouse. I remember Scruffy or Ema would chase after you in the lobby."

The boy grinned. "I remember that."

"Your grandfather would beat you for that, too. He says it's disrespectful to run in a courthouse."

"It probably is."

"Now about the fight at school day…"

Richard frowned. "I was defending the twins."

"I know. I'm sure Ema and Klavier would be grateful," she replied. "Don't do it again. I don't care how much influence your father and I have in Germany. We won't be able to send you to college there if you're a delinquent."

"Can't make any promises. You just better hope no one dares to mess with my friends."

His mother smirked. "I'll give you a little tip, Richard. Become a prosecutor and you'll be able to get away with just about anything."

"Yeah! In the courtroom!"

"What's your point, dear?"

"Nevermind…oh, and by the way, speaking of courts," said Richard, "Dad is about to murder someone."

"Who?"

"Larry Butz."

"Oh, let him." Franziska narrowed her eyes at her son, surveying his face. "How did you know about what your grandfather as done? That is a subject I would rather bury."

"I've been reading old case files of the cases Uncle Nick have worked on. Those lead to related cases."

Franziska smiled, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. "Are you thinking of going into law?"

"Maybe."

"Hm." Franziska kissed Richard on the forehead. "Maybe you are our son after all." She stood up, smoothing out the imaginary creases of her skirt. "I'm grounding you for a month."

Richard shot up. "What?!"

"You got suspended from school. You broke your perfect attendance record."

"Perfection doesn't exist!" argued Richard. "And besides, I dit--" His voice trailed off when he realized what he was saying.

His mother crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. "What was that?"

"N-nothing!" Richard bolted from the room, his mother in hot pursuit.

"_**RICHARD!!**_"

* * *

Bah. This chapter was supposed to go up on Sunday, but it wasn't finished because I've been so busy. Another essay, a major test I need a good grade in...I have no life.

Finally, a chapter focusing on the Edgeworth family. It's much more serious than I originally thought. Well, it proves that nothing is "perfect" in the Edgeworth household. I really wanted to bring up the subject of Manfred von Karma. I think it would be a little taboo to talk about it because of what Manfred did. ("Uh, yeah, so your grandfather killed your other grandfather...") I got the Ace Attorney Investigations game (w00t!) and I'm already at the fourth case. (-spoiler alert!-) At the very beginning, after meeting Kay, Manfred says something about it being disrespectful to run inside a courtroom so I wanted to incorporate that in here somehow. I really do believe that Manfred would despise Richard. Oh, and don't forget that Franziska also had a sister and a niece. It was kind of nice to mention them.

So, right, next chapter. Thinking about making it fun. Last chapter and this one are rather dark. I need some more comedy! Next chapter will include a lot of flashbacks, so expect italics.

Until next time, ta ta!


	5. Entourage of Kids

AN: This chapter contains a few spoilers for Ace Attorney Investigations Case 3, 4, and maybe 5. There are also spoilers for Case 3-5 in my regular author's notes at the end of the chapter. Tread with caution.

(-- --)

Chapter 5

Entourage of Kids

**(February 29, 2048, Saturday)**

Diana glanced around the lobby. The walls were painted with blue and pink. There were storks on the walls, carrying a baby in a blanket. Somehow, she felt the design of the hospital waiting room to be rather nauseating.

"I don't like it here," she remarked.

"Why not?" asked her mother.

"All of this waiting is boring."

"Oh, honey, pregnancies take a long time."

Trucy went into labor yesterday morning. She was in her hospital room, still suffering through the baby's contractions. Most of the families were at the hospital to support her and await the newest member of their big family. All of the kids older than Diana weren't present. They were all busy with work and college so they couldn't make it.

"They usually do, unless you're like Pearls who shoots them out like cannons," joked Phoenix.

Apollo looked up from his newspaper. "Do you really have to say that in front of my daughter?"

Ema slapped him on the shoulder. "Give it a rest, Apollo. Diana's fifteen. She's not that innocent." Apollo raised an eyebrow. "I'm not implying _that_."

Apollo glanced at his daughter. Diana put her hands up in defense. "Whoa, don't worry, Dad. I'm still a virgin. You don't have to worry about a grandkid, yet."

"Maybe you should get pregnant, Diana," said Phoenix. "Then I'll be a great-grandfather!"

Apollo glared at Phoenix. "Please don't put terrible ideas into her head."

Franziska put her book down. "Miles?"

"Hm?"

"I think I finally realized where some of Richard's cruel humor came from." She pointed at the culprit. "Phoenix Wright!"

Phoenix laughed. "Nonsense. Richard's always had cruel humor."

Edgeworth shifted in his seat. "Excuse the pun, but Wright is right. Richard's always been cruel."

"Maybe you just miss him, sir!" said Gumshoe.

"_Achtung!_" said Klavier. "Franziska's a doting mother!"

"I do not miss Richard," she said firmly. "I'm glad he's out of my hair and in Germany."

Klavier chuckled. "You miss your son!"

"I do not!"

"Oh, Franziska, it's okay," said Maggey. "It's normal to miss your children. Especially since he's your only child."

"I do _not_ miss Richard," grumbled Franziska, holding up her whip threateningly.

Silence fell between everyone.

"I miss my kids," commented Lana.

"I miss mine, too," added Ema.

"Yeah, me, too," said Maggey.

Franziska groaned.

"Mondo and Stella are parading around England," said Lana.

"With Lisa," said Ema. "They're so busy. It's a call here. An email there…and then Lotte! She only sends an email once a month because she's too busy partying!"

"Kyra says she's busy with plays," said Maggey.

"Luna tells me that she's busy with her photo shoots," added Lana.

The three women sighed. There was nothing that could beat the love of a mother.

Majority of the kids were out of their parents' house and on their own. Devlin was still in LA and was made a detective, but he moved into his own home. Kyra was a theatre graduate student at NYU. Mondo and Stella were living in Oxford, England. Mondo was a graduate student and waiting to be accepted into medical school. Stella was about to graduate and start law school to become a defense attorney. Luna opted not to go to college. She was scouted by a modeling agency and began taking jobs in Hollywood and New York, her fame starting to rise. Richard was at college in Germany, secretly working to become a defense attorney. Lotte was studying music at Columbia University in New York while her younger twin sister Lisa was living with Mondo and Stella while attending Oxford. The only kids left at home were Diana and Pearl's kids.

"Diana's going to be leaving in a couple of years," said Vera.

"Maybe you should stay here for college," suggested Apollo.

"No way," laughed Diana.

"Have you been thinking about college?" asked Edgeworth.

Diana smiled. "I was thinking about going to France."

"Diana, you can't speak a word of French," said Ema.

"Girl, ain't you failin' French now?" asked Jake.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Okay, so what? I think I'll be fine. People in France are always willing to test out their English."

"Yeah, in the cities like Paris," said Ema. "Once you get to the countryside, you will have to speak French."

"Boo…"

"Hello everyone!" called out Pearl. Everyone looked up to see Maya, Pearl, Wocky, and the five Kitaki children. Henry was holding his aunt's hand. He was four years old. He had chestnut brown hair and brown eyes. Three year old Anthony was holding Maya's other hand. He had black hair and gray eyes. Two year old Nick was riding his father's shoulders. He had brown hair and green eyes. Pearl was pushing a double stroller where her three month old babies were sleeping in. In November, Pearl gave birth to twin girls: Mia Morgan Kitaki and Lily Amber Kitaki.

"Yo!" greeted Wocky.

"Hey!" greeted Maya.

"How is Trucy doing?" asked Pearl.

"Still in labor," answered Phoenix. "I'm going to go check up on her in a couple of minutes. I think Aidan could use a break from Trucy's screaming."

Klavier chuckled. "Does that remind you of anyone?"

All heads turned towards Pearl.

"Why are you all looking at me? I was perfectly sane when I was in labor."

Franziska scoffed. "Yeah right."

(-- --)

_**(November 30, 2047, Saturday)**_

_Pearl gripped the railing of the hospital bed. She screamed, sweat dripping down her face._

"_Come on, Pearly!" encouraged Maya. "You've done this three times before, you can do this again." She took a towel and wiped away the sweat._

"_Breathe Pearl! Breathe!" added Wocky._

"_Those were three babies at three different times! I don't see two babies coming out of your vagina! I want this baby out of me! Get it out!" screamed Pearl to the doctor. "__**GET IT OUT!!**__"_

(-- --)

**(February 29, 2048, Saturday)**

Pearl sighed as she sat down, pulling the stroller near her. "Okay, so maybe I was a little on edge." Her husband sat down next to her on the couch with Nick between them. Maya sat down across from them, pulling Henry onto her lap.

"You threw the pitcher of ice chips at me," pointed out Maya.

"I was…stretching…"

"Who was the worst when in labor?" asked Diana.

All fingers pointed at Pearl.

"I was not the worst," objected Pearl. "Lana was worse than me when she was in labor with Luna."

Diana glanced at Lana. "Really, Auntie Lana?"

"I had a reason for being cross!"

(-- --)

_**(May 8, 2025, Monday)**_

_Lana grunted as she tried to push her third child out. The TV was blaring in the room, competing with Lana's screams. "Cops" was showing and there was a car chase going on._

"_You're doing very well, Lana!" said the doctor._

"_Are we there yet?" asked Lana as she slumped back onto the pillows. "I feel like this gets worse every time!"_

_Jake patted her back distractedly. He was too busy watching the car chase. "Good job, honey…"_

_Lana arched her back and screamed._

"_Here comes another contraction! It's time to push again, Lana!" ordered the doctor._

"_Jake!" she wailed. "Give me your hand." With his eyes still on the screen, Jake's hand flopped onto his wife's lap. Lana screamed again as she summoned what little energy she had left to push._

_A nurse grabbed Lana's left leg. "Mr. Marshall, you have grab your wife's other leg!"_

_After a few seconds of not making a move, Lana shrieked, "JAKE!"_

_The TV's spell on Jake broke and he turned to his wife. "Huh?"_

_Lana furiously grabbed her husband's poncho. "Okay, mister, this is your fault that I'm going through this again! If you want to live to see this kid grow up, you better stop watching TV _right now_!"_

(-- --)

**(February 29, 2048, Saturday)**

Diana let out a low whistle. "Scaaaary…"

Jake shook his head. "I was sure she was going to castrate me."

Lana looked at him with steely eyes. "I should have. You were watching TV while I was in labor!"

"I think the most emotional pregnancy was Maggey's," said Ema changing the subject.

"Both of them were," corrected Klavier.

(-- --)

_**(December 10, 2019, Tuesday)**_

_Maggey Gumshoe (née Byrde) was always plagued by bad luck ever since she was dropped from the ninth floor of a building as a baby. Good luck charms never worked. They usually broke when put into the palm of her hand. So the first stroke of good luck she ever experienced was when she became married Dick Gumshoe. (She thought it was miracle that they could make it to the wedding without fighting or breaking up.) The second stroke of luck was now, giving birth to her first child._

_She gripped her husband's hand tightly as she pushed as hard as she could._

"_You're almost there!" announced the doctor. "Just a little bit more, Maggey!"_

_A few seconds later, Maggey collapsed onto the bed. She suddenly felt relieved as if a large weight was taken off of her shoulders. The baby wailed, taking in its first breath of the world._

"_Congratulations. It's a boy."_

"_Oh!" Maggey let out a weak laugh as her husband placed a soft kiss on her forehead._

_The nurse took the baby boy to clean him up and wrap him in several blankets. When she was done, she handed him to Maggey._

_Tears welled in her eyes. "Hi, honey…welcome to the family."_

_Gumshoe stroked the baby's soft cheek, gently. "He's so tiny."_

"_And I hope I don't drop you from the apartment window."_

(-- --)

**(February 29, 2048, Saturday)**

"Devlin turned out well," commented Edgeworth. "And you didn't drop him at all."

"Yes. But it seemed like he was a little clumsy. Not so much as me, but still," said Maggey. "I mean, he's broken so many bones. His arm, his wrist, his leg, his collarbone--"

"You cursed him with the name," said Phoenix. "You named him "Devlin!""

"It was a nice name!"

"You cursed him with the name!"

"Who had the fastest pregnancy?" interrupted Diana.

"That would be Ema," answered Vera.

(-- --)

_**(October 24, 2028, Tuesday)**_

"_How are you doing?" asked Klavier, walking into the hospital room._

_Ema nodded slowly. "Fine, actually. They took out my circlage this morning, and I haven't had any contractions yet."_

"_At least you're not cranky, yet," he replied, pressing his lips against her temple. He pulled up a chair and sat in it. "I hope this won't be like with your sister."_

"_Don't watch TV while I'm giving birth, and we won't have the same problem as Lana did."_

_Klavier chuckled. "I promise."_

_An hour later, Ema abruptly grabbed her husband's hand. "Oh my god…"_

"_What?"_

_She frantically gestured at her pregnant stomach. "My water just broke!" Ema grabbed the remote, pressing the button to call a nurse._

"_What's the matter, Mrs. Gavin?" asked the nurse._

"_My water just broke!"_

_The nurse poked her head out of the room. Ema heard her say, "Nancy, I need you to get the doctor here, immediately. Mrs. Gavin's going into labor."_

"_Oh!" said Ema. "Here's the first contraction!"_

_Klavier glanced at his watch while holding her hand. "Okay, just breathe like we learned."_

_Ema obeyed, quickly breathing in through her nose and exhaling through her mouth. Her stomach cramped up. She could feel the pain reaching the back of her uterus and her back. When it was over, Ema let out a deep breath._

"_I thought the beginning contractions weren't supposed to be that bad!" she snapped._

"_That one lasted about a minute and a half," said Klavier._

_The nurse eyed them curiously, but went on cleaning up._

_Ema grabbed her husband's hand again. "Oh no, here comes another one!"_

_Klavier hastily looked at his watch. "What?! It's only been a minute in between both!"_

"_A minute?!" cried out the nurse. She rushed back into the hall. "Nancy! We need the doctor now!"_

(-- --)

**(February 29, 2048, Saturday)**

"I had the twins in less than an hour. At least it wasn't so painful," said Ema. "And it wasn't as painful as Franziska's."

Diana looked at Franziska expectantly.

"I don't want to talk about it," she replied solemnly.

Diana shut her mouth and turned to her mother. "So what kind of pregnancy did you have, Mom?"

Vera laughed. "A normal one."

"I thought it was amusing that your father was running down the halls yelling at the top of his lungs, "I have a daughter! I have a daughter! I have a daughter!" when you were born," said Klavier.

Diana burst out laughing. "Oh, that's so sweet!"

Apollo slightly went pink. "I was happy!" he said defensively.

"We knew," said Maya. "You were yelling and running around."

Phoenix stood up and stretched. "Well, I'm going to check up on Trucy." He left the lobby.

Henry slipped off of Maya's lap and moved over to Gumshoe. He tugged on his trench coat. "Uncle Gummy, play with me!"

Anthony got up from the floor, standing next to his brother. "No, play with me, Uncle Gummy!"

Gumshoe laughed. "I'll play with both of you!" He got up, taking the two boys with him.

"How long has it been since we first heard that nickname?" asked Edgeworth. ""Gummy?""

"A very long time," said Franziska.

"The nickname is kind of strange," commented Diana.

"Actually, when all of you were Henry and Anthony's age, you all called Gumshoe that," said Maggey. "Except Devlin and Kyra, of course."

"Kay was the first one to use that nickname," said Edgeworth.

"Who's this Kay?" asked Klavier.

"Kay Faraday," answered Ema. "I met her once. A _long_ time ago."

"Speaking of her, where is she now?" asked Franziska.

"Last I heard, she was going around Asia, doing her work as the Yatagarasu," answered Edgeworth. He sighed. "Of course, she does come back time to time for a visit."

"Yatagarasu?" murmured Diana. Her eyes twinkled and she edged a little off of her seat. "Can I hear this story? Please?"

"It's a very long story."

"Auntie Trucy is in labor still. We have time."

Edgeworth glanced at his wife who put her hands up in defense. "This is all you," she said.

He sighed. "So I guess the real story of the Yatagarasu began over 35 years ago…"

(-- --)

Everyone gazed through the glass window of the maternity ward. Phoenix placed a finger on the window. "That's him right there. Third one down that row," he said.

"Aw! My baby cousin! He's so cute!" said Diana. "He's a leap year baby!"

Edgeworth peered at the card of the crib. "Zak Phoenix Nadia." He nodded approvingly. "The names of her two fathers. I like it."

Phoenix looked at the baby fondly. He put an arm around Diana. "I have a granddaughter and a grandson now…I'm old…" It looked as if he was mesmerized by the idea.

Diana hugged him. "You're not old. You're just our granddaddy."

"He's very adorable," commented Vera. "I think he looks a lot like Trucy."

"I'm seeing more Aidan," replied Apollo.

"Er…isn't it too soon to tell, pal?" asked Gumshoe.

"Scientifically speaking," began Ema, "you can always tell if the baby looks like one of parents even if they haven't opened their eyes or grown hair yet."

Klavier kissed Ema on the temple. "Thanks for the science lesson." He let out a strained grunt when she elbowed him in the stomach.

"Come on. Let's go see how Trucy is doing," said Phoenix. He led the way, everyone following him down the hall. Only Franziska lingered behind to watch the nurses take care of the babies. Edgeworth noticed and placed a hand at the small of her back.

"You really do miss Richard," he commented.

"How could I not? He's my only child." Franziska ran her fingers along her stomach. "When he was growing up, I was so frustrated at how he was nothing like us. But now that he's in Germany, I miss having him around."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I wish we could have had another child," she said. "But if it weren't for these _foolish_ hips--"

"I think Richard was enough. And I _like_ your hips."

"I wish we could have had another child," she repeated.

"You know that's impossible."

(-- --)

_**(August 13, 2026, Thursday)**_

_Edgeworth stood outside in the hallway with the doctor. His face was very pale. He raised his hand to loosen his cravat. "How is she?" he asked quickly._

"_Both alive," answered the doctor. "We had to perform a Caesarean section on her. Her hips are very slender, and she was in excruciating pain. If she had tried to continue with a vaginal birth, the boy's head would have killed her."_

_He let out a small sigh of relief, though he continued tugging at his cravat. "Then it's good that you did that, but what about the risks?"_

"_We've stopped the bleeding, but we're going to keep an eye on her and the baby for any more problems such as infection," said the doctor. "But there is something else you must know."_

"_Like what?"_

"_Due to the damage the baby has done before we did the Caesarean section, your wife can't have another child."_

(-- --)

"Did you see him?" asked Trucy, sitting up in the bed. "He's very handsome, isn't he?"

Pearl squeezed her best friend's hand. "Yes, he is. How are you?"

"Better now that I've rested." Trucy chuckled. "Although, how can some of you go through this more than once?! That was painful!"

Franziska bit her tongue.

"It's for a child," Lana answered simply.

Edgeworth scoffed. "Those kids don't last long. They're cute when they're young, but then they give you a different kind of pain when they grow up."

Phoenix laughed and clapped him on the back. "You're just sore that your son didn't turn out the way you wanted him to."

"Shut up."

"Where's Aidan?" asked Maya.

"Oh, he went out to get me some of Eldoon's noodles."

"Ooh! Noodles!" Maya slapped Phoenix's arm. "Your grandson was just born! Treat us to some noodles!"

"_Objection! _I'm not treating anyone! I think I've done enough of that over the years."

"Argh, you old fart! Come on! I'm on vacation here!"

Ema laughed. "You're on vacation every other weekend!"

"That's not the point!"

"Then what is the point?" asked Phoenix.

"The point is--"

Diana sighed and raised her camera. She snapped a picture to mark the day her cousin Zak Phoenix Nadia was born. On this day, she learned about various birth stories of her aunts, the famous Yatagarasu, and watched her Auntie Maya argue her way to get a bowl of ramen. Even if the family was growing, there were things that would never change.

* * *

-sigh- Finally this chapter is done. Trucy's had her baby! Yay!

Time really flies with these characters. I mean, in "The Parent Trap," you have these characters who are relatively young, and then just by fast forwarding four/five years, all of a sudden, Devlin's 28-29. I guess life is like that.

I had _The Women_ (2008) in mind when writing the anecdote about Pearl in labor. In the movie, Edie is in labor, and she yells at the doctor to get the baby out in the funniest way. For Franziska's anecdote, I had _The Forsyte Saga_ in mind. In the book, Soame's second wife Annette has trouble when in labor. Soames is given the chance to decide if the doctor should: operate on his wife but the baby will die, or do not operate on his wife but Annette will die and the baby will survive. Soames chooses not to operate, and both his wife and baby survive, but the baby is a girl. (And Soames wanted a boy.) The doctor mentions that the head of a boy would have killed Annette. But the series takes place during the mid-1800s to the 1920s, so I guess that they didn't have C-sections. If they did, they probably didn't know how to do them properly.

I've been playing AAI, so I wanted to include Kay at some point. It makes sense that little kids would called Gumshoe "Uncle Gummy" just like Kay did in Case 3. Kay will probably be mentioned more in future chapters, or even making an appearance.

Originally, Pearl going to have only one daughter, and that was Mia. But then I realized that since her mother had twins before (Dahlia and Iris), there is a possibility that Pearl could have twins as well, so I made it that Pearl gave birth to twin girls. Mia is named after Mia Fey, of course, and her middle name comes from Pearl's mother Morgan. Since Pearl's half sisters were named after flowers, the second twin was named Lily. Because Pearl is named after...well, a pearl, I wanted Lily's middle name to be "Topaz" because the twins were born in November. I didn't like the name all that much, so I decided on Amber because it looks similar to the November's yellow topaz.

That's all folks. Chapter 6 is already finished and needs to undergo editing. Chapter 7 is almost done. Expect the updates over the next several days.


	6. Perfection!

(-- --)

Chapter 6

Perfection!

**(December 24, 2022, Saturday)**

Miles Edgeworth opened the door to Room 1202. He flipped on the light switch. It was nice to see that it was just the way he left it before he left for Germany. There weren't any dead bodies or files littered inside. Gumshoe did a good job in keeping it clean while he was gone. Maybe he should raise his pay a little bit. After all, he did have a family to support now. Gumshoe's son Devlin was three, and he had a new baby sister now.

Edgeworth seated himself behind his desk, and in no less than a minute later, the door to his office slammed open.

"Aha!" yelled Franziska von Karma. "I heard you were back from Germany, Miles Edgeworth!"

"So you rushed over here?" asked Edgeworth. "Oh, I'm flattered, Franziska."

"Shut up."

"So why have you decided to grace me with your presence? It's Christmas Eve. I expected you would be spending Christmas with your sister."

"I should ask the same of you!"

Edgeworth smirked. "Are you implying that you want me to spend Christmas with you?"

Lately, he had noticed there was a certain lure about her body. It was so slender; he could see the lovely curve of her waist. There were a few times he wondered if it would fit perfectly against his body. Her blue eyes were always bent on him, and those had a spell on him. And though it was nothing but an infatuation (_maybe_ it was love, but he couldn't say for sure), he would never act on it. He would only go as far as to tease her, gently pushing the right buttons. After all, if she was so adamant about them being siblings, there was nothing much he could do.

"What? No!"

"Then what did you come in here for?"

Franziska frowned. "I don't know why, actually."

Edgeworth shrugged on his magenta coat and got up. "All right, that's it. Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"It's late, and I'm sure Wright's party is already over. We're going out to drink."

(-- --)

Although Edgeworth had said that they were going drinking, Franziska was the one to do all of the drinking. Someone had to be sober enough to drive the other home, and Edgeworth hated letting people drive his car.

Franziska stumbled through the garage while Edgeworth tried to hold her steady. A bottle of pure vodka was clasped tightly in her hand. Franziska could drink anyone under the table. It had to be that German blood. However, whenever Franziska was completely inebriated, her personality did a 180. She rarely snapped at people, giggled uncontrollably, and was a hundred times friendlier. She got so friendly at times that she would randomly stick her tongue down anyone's throat, man or woman. To save the embarrassment of random strangers, Edgeworth quickly diverted her tongue into his own mouth every time. (Really, he wasn't complaining much.)

The woman giggled uncharacteristically as she took another swig of the vodka. "This is a great Christmas!"

"I bet it is," Edgeworth answered with amusement. "You'll be getting a gift you didn't ask for tomorrow."

She swayed on the spot as Edgeworth tried to hold her steady and open the door that lead into the laundry room.

"And what is that?"

"A hangover."

She giggled again. Just when the door clicked open, Franziska tackled Edgeworth into the house. They fell into the darkness and landed on the floor. The bottle of vodka rolled away from them. "You're so funny, Miles!" she laughed. She pressed her lips to his, instantly getting frisky, and pushing her tongue into his mouth.

Edgeworth relished the kiss. After all, it might be the only time he could ever do such a thing and it would be willing on both parts. Through the haze of his desire, he could hear his dog Pesu barking nearby. Edgeworth pushed Franziska off of him. She landed on her butt with a surprised, "Oh!"

Edgeworth turned on the lights and snatched the bottle of vodka from the floor. He hastily wiped it up with a towel. "Down, Pesu!" he ordered. The big dog stared up at his master before obeying.

"Aw! What a good doggy!" gushed Franziska.

Edgeworth grabbed her by the arm and hoisted her up. "Let's go."

"So where am I sleeping tonight, Miles?"

"There are two guest bedrooms here. You can occupy one of those."

Franziska sighed, an arm reaching up to drape around Edgeworth's shoulders. "I love you, Miles."

He halted. "What?"

"I also hate you…" She giggled. "But I think that's because I'm in love with you." She sighed again. "I love you…"

Edgeworth was so tempted. He was so tempted to hug her, kiss her, and do a lot of not-so-innocent things to her. He took a deep breath, trying to get his head back to earth. Franziska was _wasted_. Drunken people didn't know what they were talking about. He was a gentleman, and a gentleman would –should– never take advantage of a woman who was completely, utterly intoxicated.

Upon reaching one of the empty bedrooms, Franziska was already passed out, drooling on Edgeworth's jacket. He pushed the door open with his foot, and in an instant, Franziska's feet were swept off the floor. He carried her to the bed, pulling the covers over her. She stirred slightly, sighing contentedly. Edgeworth quietly set a trash can next to the bed and closed the door on the way out.

(-- --)

**(December 25, 2022, Sunday)**

Phoenix grazed his hand on top of the lamp outside of Edgeworth's house. He chuckled. "Jeez, Edgeworth. You have to be a little bit more original where you hide the spare key."

"Daddy," said a ten year old Trucy, "isn't this breaking and entering?"

"Nope," he said. "It isn't if you use the spare key." He picked up a few of the wrapped gifts from the ground. "Look, we're just going to drop these off, leave a note, and leave. Unless…" Phoenix grinned devilishly. "Unless you want to poke around and explore his home for a little bit."

Trucy lit up. "Really?"

Phoenix laughed. "We'll see."

Father and daughter entered the house, carrying the gifts inside. They placed them on the dining table. Phoenix went into the kitchen to find a pen and a pad of paper while Trucy took Pesu outside so she could play with them.

As Phoenix was writing the note, he heard someone stumbling down the hallway. He looked up in time to see Franziska clutching her head and wearing nothing but one of Edgeworth's dress shirts. She spotted Phoenix and shrieked, snatching up one of the couch's cushions.

"Phoenix Wright, you foolishly foolish fool! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?!"

"I asked first!"

"I came by to drop off Edgeworth's gifts because we didn't see him last night!"

"How did you get in here?!"

"I used the hide-a-key." Phoenix gestured at Franziska. "What are _you_ doing here, and why are you wearing _that_?!"

"Shut up!"

The light bulb clicked on in his head. A smirk appeared over his lips. "Last night, did you and Edgeworth--"

"No, you fool!" screamed Franziska. She picked up one of the pillows and flung it at Phoenix. He ducked, the pillow hitting a cookie jar instead. She clutched her head again. "I had too much to drink last night, and I guess Miles brought me back here." She groaned.

"So why are you dressed like that? Did he take advantage of you last night?"

"No, you foolish fool. I woke up in my dress, and Miles wasn't around so I "borrowed" one of his shirts. I didn't actually think anyone would be here to see!"

Phoenix turned away. "Sorry."

"Now excuse me. I have to go throw up now." Franziska dropped the cushion and moved to the bathroom, shutting the door.

Phoenix was putting the final touches to the note when the front door opened. Edgeworth came in with a bag and two Styrofoam cups of coffee. He stopped when he saw Phoenix. "What are you doing here?"

Phoenix looked up. "Trucy and I came here to drop off your gifts from last night."

"Where's Trucy?"

"Outside with Pesu."

Edgeworth set the bag and the coffee on the counter, surveying Phoenix. "What is this you're wearing?"

Phoenix looked down at his sweatpants, hoodie, flip flops, and the blue beanie on his head. "Clothes…"

"You look like a hobo."

"Hey, I'm trying to raise a daughter here."

"So you decide to look like a bum?"

"I have no need to dress up in a suit, and these clothes help save money."

Edgeworth frowned. "How destitute are you both?"

"We're not destitute." Phoenix crossed his arms and studied Edgeworth. "And by the way, is there something going on between you and Miss von Karma?"

Edgeworth's heart trembled slightly. "No." Phoenix smirked. "What's with that look?"

"I'm seeing a bunch of Psyche locks around you right now."

_Shit_, thought Edgeworth.

"Do you want to confess now, or do you want me to break these locks one by one?" asked Phoenix. "Is there something going on between you and Miss von Karma?"

Edgeworth glared at his best friend. He knew Phoenix would get the truth out of him sooner or later. He really didn't want to know how he would break those locks. To save himself the embarrassment, he answered, "Yes and no."

"Yes, there is something going on? Hm…but what would the no refer to?" Phoenix tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Unless…yes, there is something going on between both of you, but it's one-sided, and no, there isn't anything going on because nothing has happened yet. Am I right?" Edgeworth gave the ex-lawyer a fierce look. "Ooh, looks like I hit the nail on the head."

"You're right. Nothing is going on, and my feelings for her are one-sided."

Phoenix smirked, turning his head so he could hear better. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear that."

"I'm in love with Franziska von Karma!" Edgeworth yelled furiously.

_**CRASH!**_

Edgeworth's head snapped in the direction of the bathroom. He turned back to Phoenix who was smiling pleasantly.

"Why are telling me this? Don't you think you should tell her that yourself?" With one last grin, Phoenix slid the glass door to the backyard open. "Trucy! We're leaving!"

Trucy bounded into the house with Pesu following after her. "'Kay! Bye Uncle Miles and Merry Christmas!"

"I'm not your uncle, Trucy!" Edgeworth called after her as she bounded down the driveway to the cab.

Phoenix was almost out of the front door when he stopped a turned back to say, "I'll put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door. Seems to me that you both won't be leaving the house for several days."

"Out! OUT!" yelled Edgeworth, shoving Phoenix out the door and slamming it shut.

The door to the bathroom opened. Edgeworth turned to see Franziska in the doorway, wearing nothing but one of his dress shirts. It felt so _intimate_ seeing her dressed in one of his shirts. It was much too big for her small body. It revealed her shapely legs, and it looked like the shoulders were about to slip off. Edgeworth could begin to see some cleavage as Franziska shyly tugged the shirt down, a light shade of pink dusting across her cheeks.

"I…I thought that you were still asleep," Edgeworth said slowly. The air in the room was so _awkward_.

"I'll just change and leave…" Franziska quickly made her way across the room with her head down. Edgeworth spotted his bottle of cologne in pieces on the bathroom floor, but he didn't care. He grabbed Franziska by the arm, stopping her in her tracks.

"Wait. Aren't we going to talk about this?"

"I need a moment to wrap my head around this."

"And last night?"

Franziska raised her head to look at Edgeworth. "Nothing happened last night. As least I don't think so."

"You said you were in love with me."

Her breath hitched in her throat. "I…"

"You know, alcohol makes people very loose-lipped. People reveal their most kept secrets so easily." He gripped her arm a little harder, taking a step closer to her. "So tell me the truth, or will I just have to dispose of my feelings because they're unrequited?"

"…assuming I do, what would you do?"

"Do I really have to explain?"

Her trembling voice suddenly became a little bolder as she retorted, "Why don't you prove it?"

He dropped her arm and grabbed her whole body, kissing her with reckless abandon.

She never did manage to leave that house.

* * *

This chapter is dedicated to Indochine Ramera and any other Edgeworth/Franziska fan.

The inspiration to write this came from when I was looking at Phoenix Wright pictures. I saw one fan art where Edgeworth was only wearing pants and Franziska was wearing nothing but a dress shirt. I always think it's very intimate for a woman to wear nothing but one of her boyfriend's dress shirts, so I wanted to recreate the effect somehow.

Ah, yes, a drunk Franziska. I've never gotten drunk before in my life (though I certainly like pretending I am), so I wonder how people act when they are drunk. I like to think that their personalities do a 180. I've always imagined that if I got drunk, I would act like Franziska: laugh a lot and be overly friendly. How many people can actually imagine a drunk Franziska like that?

This chapter takes place in 2022, so this is after Phoenix was disbarred. I always imagined Edgeworth's reaction to Phoenix's new wardrobe would like how he reacts in this chapter. ("What the eff are you wearing?!")

I was originally going to write on how Phoenix breaks Edgeworth's Psyche locks, but unfortunately, I couldn't really come up with a good train of logic and evidence without revealing that Franziska was actually in the bathroom and was listening in on the conversation.

Next chapter: Diana and her family.


	7. Family

AN: At the end of the Ace Attorney games, there is an ending picture. This chapter contains a description for these pictures, so it still is considered as a spoiler. This also includes Ace Attorney Investigations. Remember to tread with caution if you do not want to be spoiled.

(-- --)

Chapter 7

Family

**(November 26, 2048, Thursday)**

If there was anything that Diana Justice loved, it was Thanksgiving. It wasn't because of the food, but it was because it was a chance for her family to be together. Not just her father and mother and grandfather and grandmother and aunt and cousin, but her _whole_ family. They were the greatest treasure she ever had, even if all of them weren't completely related by blood.

So on that Thanksgiving Day, the dinner celebration was being held at the apartment her family lived in. She didn't know how it could accommodate thirty-one people, but somehow, it could. Through the joyous noise of the wives and mothers cooking in the kitchen to the husbands talking and watching TV to the kids shutting themselves up in the master bedroom, trying to speed run a video game without saving, Diana instead chose to shut herself in her room. She took out her scrapbook and began flipping through it.

She had kept scrapbooks for as long as she could remember. There were various photographs, some with fancy frames and some just taped over others, made to fit the page. There were some of her drawings and paintings, depicting her family in various scenes. Diana had gone through boxes and boxes of photographs to find the right ones for her scrapbooks. There were a few that she stole, but no one seemed to notice.

For example, there was one photograph that was shot so many years ago. She heard the story behind the picture from her grandfather. A woman named Lotta Hart was the one who took it. It was just after her Uncle Miles was found not guilty for a murder, and everyone was celebrating in the lobby of the courthouse. Gumshoe was throwing confetti in the air, Edgeworth was smiling, Phoenix looked a little surprised as Maya was holding up a victory sign, and Larry was frowning. The strangest thing about the photograph was that there looked like there was a ghost standing next to Larry and Maya. Diana had found the photograph at Phoenix's apartment, and when he wasn't looking, she snagged it from its place.

Another picture Diana was found in Ema's home. It was a picture of Lana as a detective and a young Ema wearing her sister's hat as they saluted the camera. She also took that one and made a copy of it before putting it back.

Diana also found a couple of pictures drawn by Larry (aka Laurice Deauxnim). The first one had a man with white hair wearing a peculiar visor and holding a mug of coffee. In the middle was a beautiful woman wearing a scarf around her neck as well as a magatama. Next to her was an older woman wearing a cloak and holding a staff. Diana was told that the three people were a man named Godot (his real name was Diego Armando), Mia Fey, and Misty Fey. The second picture drawn had a smiling Gumshoe, Maya, Pearl, Phoenix, Edgeworth, and Franziska.

Looking through her mother's old sketchbooks, she found one particular sketch of her father when he was young along with Trucy and Mr. Hat.

In Edgeworth's house, Diana found a photograph of a young girl grabbing onto Edgeworth's cravat while Gumshoe smiled in the corner. She assumed that the girl was Kay Faraday, the second Yatagarasu she was told about.

In Trucy's home, she found a photograph of her grandmother. Thalassa looked very beautiful, and she was wearing two of the special alloy bracelets that she and her father wore.

Those were just a few of the pictures Diana had. Others included a picture of the married couples and one of all of the kids in order of age. There were pictures from graduations and parties and holidays and vacations and some just everyday life. Diana included them all, even if she was not there to experience what went on in them.

Diana closed her scrapbook and placed it back on her shelf. She picked up her camera and sketchbook and head for the master bedroom. Inside, Stella was trying to speed run a survival horror game without saving while the others watched. Henry and Anthony were scared by the game, cringing behind pillows. Devlin and Richard were having fun scaring them, occasionally grabbing them out of the blue and yelling. The lights were off, and the only light source was the illumination of the TV screen. Diana sat down in the corner. Time to time, she would raise her camera to snap a picture. Richard startling Henry before berating him for not being man enough. The twins Lotte and Lisa laughing at the TV. Luna pointing at the screen, directing her sister where to go. Mondo shouting a random inside joke and the others joining in. Devlin occasionally making some sort of scary noise to freak out Henry and Anthony. Kyra was making fun of the voice acting in the game.

She moved into the living room. Diana began snapping pictures as she walked across the room. Gumshoe and Wocky yelling at the TV as they watched the football game. Edgeworth watching Phoenix hold Zak. Aidan making silly faces at Zak over Phoenix's shoulder. Nick acting as a cowboy with Jake as his horse. Klavier playing a soft melody on his guitar in front of the crib where Mia and Lily were laying in. Apollo tucking in the twin girls.

Diana stopped at the doorway of the kitchen. The wonderful smell of Thanksgiving dinner waived her way. She raised her camera to take one picture. Maggey putting all of her concentration into the cranberry sauce. Franziska putting the finishing touches on a chocolate cake. Maya going around, test tasting every piece of food. Vera reaching into the oven to take out a pumpkin pie. Ema and Lana holding the turkey. Trucy munching on one of the cookies. Pearl was mashing the potatoes.

Dinner was eventful, just like Diana expected. In the living room, several tables were lined up to fit all of the food and people. Apollo started with the food, passing it down the row and around the table. Pearl was feeding Lily with a bottle as Wocky fed Pearl. Maya was feeding Mia while occasionally putting the bottle down to take a bite of her own food. Henry and Nick were throwing peas at each other from across the table while Kyra and Lisa were trying to stop them. Anthony was ignoring the food on his plate and reaching for the pumpkin pie. Devlin was recounting his current experience as a detective to everyone. Through all of the chaos and flying food, Diana happily sat through it all. She placed her camera on the shelf and put it on a timer. It flashed, capturing the moment, but no one but Diana noticed.

A week later, Diana got all of her photographs developed. She put them all into her scrapbook. At the very bottom, she carefully wrote five simple words, and sat back to admire them.

"We're not friends. We're family."

* * *

The inspiration for this chapter came from the ending and credits of Lethal Weapon 4.

Despite the fact that this is a short chapter with no dialogue whatsoever, I think this is one of my favorite chapters. My family is rather small, so I like to imagine what holidays would be like if a great big huge family got together. I'm like Diana who enjoys the chaos and the noise. I think it would be very fun. (The fragments were intentional.)

The part where all of the kids were in the master bedroom trying to speed run a video game was something I went through when I was younger. My relatives came over for Thanksgiving, so when my mom and my aunts were cooking, my cousins, my sister, and I went into my parents' room to set up my cousins' PSX. My cousin decided to speed run Resident Evil 2: Leon's path (because my cousins lost the disc for Claire's) without saving. He managed to do before we ate Thanksgiving dinner. I was a kid at the time, so I was kind of scared, but I think I fell asleep at some point. I think we've all experienced the same torment Henry and Anthony went through with Richard and Devlin scaring them. (I know I have.)

As said before, the chapter's inspiration came from the ending and credits of Lethal Weapon 4. At the hospital, a doctor takes a picture of both families and asks, "Are you all friends?" Everyone replies with, "No! We're family!" Then the credits start to roll with pictures of the cast and crew in a scrapbook fashion. I loved it.

**-spoiler for Case 5 in AAI!!-**

I finally finished AAI, so I have to apologize for a small inconsistency in Chapter 5 about Kay. I had not finished AAI when I wrote that chapter, and I said something about Kay without fully knowing what happens to her at the end of the game. But I guess it isn't such a big deal considering the part about Kay is missing a small minor detail.

**-end spoiler-**

Next chapter: Lotte is the last to experience something, and it doesn't go as planned.


	8. First

(-- --)

Chapter 8

First

**(March 10, 2044, Thursday)**

Richard walked down the empty hallway of the school. Much of the students were at lunch, while others were still in class. Richard often frequented the empty hallways when he was in class. It was an excuse to stretch his legs and go pick up a book from his locker because he forgot to do the homework. Whenever he wandered the hallways, all he could hear were the teachers teaching. So that afternoon, he found it strange when he began hearing the melody of a piano.

_It's Chopin's Nocturne No. 21 in…C-minor_, he thought. Growing up with Stella and Lotte who frequently played the piano, he had grown to be able to recognize different pieces, even Chopin's least known Nocturne piece.

Richard followed the sad melody to the music room. He peered through the glass pane on the door to see Lotte, her fingers pressing down on the ebony and ivory keys of the piano. He quietly opened the door.

He didn't want her to know he was there, but Lotte calmly called him out. "I know you're there."

"If you're here playing this Nocturne piece during lunch, then something must be wrong," he replied.

Lotte stopped playing the song and slammed her fingers down on random keys, the piano strangling violently. Turned around on the bench and sighed. Richard walked down the row, taking a seat next to her.

He nudged her. "C'mon. Let's hear it. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Richard."

"You're such a liar."

"And what makes you think I'm lying?"

"Well, for one, you're not with your sister. Two, you're playing the most depressing Nocturne piece ever."

"Lisa and I aren't joined to the hip."

"You're twins. Of course you are."

Lotte gave him a look of skepticism.

Richard nudged her again. "What's wrong?"

She sighed. "Have you had your first kiss yet?" she asked.

Richard snickered. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"Argh! Why is it that everyone has had their first kiss already and not me?!"

"You're upset because you haven't had your first kiss yet?" Richard repeated slowly.

"Yes!" snapped Lotte.

He frowned. "I don't get it. What's so special about your first kiss?"

"Oh come on! It's your _first_ kiss with someone who is not your parents or relatives! It's _very_ special!"

He ruffled Lotte's hair affectionately. "So does that mean Lisa's had her first kiss already?"

"Yes," she answered, slapping Richard's away as if it were a fly. She began smoothing the tangles in her hair that he created. "She didn't even tell me."

"Maybe she thought you would freak out like now."

"I'm not freaking out! I'm just annoyed that all of my friends have had their first kiss, and I haven't."

"Then why don't you just go out and kiss the boy you think is the cutest?" joked Richard. "That would make a great story."

"Shut up." Lotte crossed her arms. "I want my first kiss to be perfect."

"There's no such thing as perfection," Richard answered coolly.

"There is in my head!"

"And that's probably why you won't have your first kiss for a while because you're such a romantic. Nothing will be good enough for you."

Lotte slapped his arm. "That's a terrible thing to say!"

Richard grinned and glanced at the older Gavin twin from the corner of his eye. She was fuming, muttering and cursing in French. He cleared his throat. "Hey, Lotte."

"What?" she snapped, turning to him.

Richard cupped her face in his hands, his lips meeting hers. Her eyes widened with shock, but she didn't move to push him away. It felt strange. It was a little wet, but she didn't feel any of the sparks and fireworks that were often talked about in literature and movies. It was tender, but it didn't excite anything out of her. It was only a kiss. It was nothing special. Richard leaned back, his hands still resting on Lotte's cheeks. He smirked and winked. "Perfect enough for you?"

"Hardly!" she spat out, getting up from the bench. Her face was red from both irritation and embarrassment. She rubbed her lips with her sleeve.

"Listen up, Miss Charlotte Gavin," said Richard, his eyes twinkling. "Just because your first kiss wasn't perfect doesn't mean it's the end of the world. Next time, find a guy you like to kiss because that one will be perfect enough to fulfill the fantasy in your head."

"You suck," she retorted.

Richard chuckled. "Only on the weekends, baby," he shot back sarcastically. "By the way, what did you think of the kiss?"

"Awkward."

"Oh, when you lose your virginity, it'll be like that," he answered, roaring with laughter.

Lotte's mouth fell in horror. She slapped him on the arm. "What is wrong with you today? You're so vulgar!" She tried to keep scowling, but traces of a laugh were breaking through her façade.

"Aren't I vulgar everyday?" he shot back.

"Touché…" Lotte bent down to pick up her backpack from the floor. "Where are you supposed to be right now?"

Richard yawned as he stood and stretched. "AP English."

"Then why aren't you in class?"

He shrugged casually as he and Lotte headed out of the room. "I don't care."

"So apathetic!" she laughed.

"It's not like the teachers can say much anyway. I'm getting A's, aren't I?"

Lotte shook her head. "One of these days, you're cockiness is going to get you in a lot of trouble."

He snorted. "As if it doesn't already." Lotte's stomach growled with hunger. She flushed and wrapped her arms around her torso to mask the sound. Richard chuckled. "You should probably go back to lunch." They turned to part in the hallway when he added, "By the way, you should tell your friends about your first kiss now. It'll make for a great laugh."

"Oh shove off!"

With a final wave, they departed.

* * *

I honestly cannot remember where I got the idea for this chapter. Although, when I was first writing "The Parent Trap," I thinking of doing this subplot romance between Richard and Lotte, but it was omitted. I think this is good enough to make for it. Richard is and forever will be a cheeky, witty bastard. I absolutely love him.

Next chapter: Pearl Kitaki's five kids follow in the footsteps of tradition.


	9. Partners in Crime

(-- --)

Chapter 9

Partners in Crime

**(September 19, 2051, Tuesday)**

If anything could be said about the five Kitaki children, it was that they were partners in crime. They were all willing to cover for each other when someone got into trouble. One of them would confess to the crime before the others would say it was their fault instead. This tactic had a 90% chance of getting all of them off the hook because of lack of evidence and mind games.

The ringleader was Henry, the oldest Kitaki child. He was seven and incredibly mischievous and curious. He looked like his father, except his hair did not look like a fox. Perhaps he was inspired by his father's hairstyle to be like the fox: cunning, clever, quick, and witty. Ema had a theory that if Henry was separated from his brothers and sisters, his siblings would behave like perfect angels. All of the ploys that frequently got him and his siblings in trouble were thought up by him.

Second in command was Anthony, the second oldest Kitaki child. He was six and like Henry, he was intelligent and clever. He often acted cool and mature. He usually served as the conscience for his brothers and sisters. He often went along with Henry's schemes without question, only stopping them before they got too out of control. Time to time, he would help Henry plot. He looked a lot like his Aunt Maya and Aunt Iris with black hair and gray eyes. He had a terrible weakness for sweets, often behaving more like the child he was supposed to be. His favorite snack was the muffins his family serves at their bakery.

Next was Nick. He was five. He was bold, confident, and daring for his age. Because of that, he was always getting cuts and scrapes. Maggey knew that the hospital would become Nick's second home once he got older. He'd have to go there to get patched up after some kind of adventure, and soon, the whole hospital staff would know him by name. Nick was usually the one to carry out Henry's plots. Nick liked any challenge, but it was always because of him that the five siblings got into trouble. He was the closest to his sisters, and he was always the one to defend them. He had his mother's looks: brown hair and green eyes.

Finally, there were the twin girls, Mia and Lily. They were four. They were spirit mediums in training. They loved to bake and under the influence of Maya, they loved the _Steel Samurai_ franchise. But when they weren't training, baking, or watching _The Steel Samurai_, they were following after their brothers, joining in whatever scheme Henry recently came up with. Mia and Lily were cheerful and refined like their mother. Ema couldn't help but note how similar they were to her twin daughters. The two girls had long black hair and green eyes. They were fully aware that one of them would have to take up the position of Master of Kurain Village, so they made a deal. The twin with the stronger power would become Master and the other would take over the Kitaki muffin business (which has now expanded to a bakery).

Today, the five Kitaki children fell into the footsteps of tradition.

It was September. There was a cool breeze passing through the Winding Way as the five kids were playing with a Steel Samurai ball that once belonged to their mother.

Henry held up the blue ball and pointed down the sheltered wooden walkway. "Anthony, go long!" he ordered.

"Henry, I don't think you should--" began Mia.

"Oh, be quiet Mia."

"Don't talk to her like that!" scolded Nick.

Henry stuck his tongue out at his brother and pointed down the walkway. "Anthony, go long!" he repeated.

Anthony rolled his eyes and ran down the path. Henry threw the ball at him. Maybe it was the wind that was partly responsible for what happened next. The ball slipped through Anthony's fingers and collided with the blue, Sacred Urn that housed Ami's ashes and spirit. The blue ball bounced onto the floor before ceasing movement. Henry, Anthony, Nick, Mia, and Lily stared at the broken urn with wide eyes and dumbfounded faces.

"Henry, you--" said Lily.

"Ssh! Don't say it!" he interrupted hastily.

The five kids gathered around the broken urn.

"Mystic Maya and Mother are going to kill us," said Mia.

"They don't have to know," answered Henry.

"Do you not see what you did, Henry?" Anthony asked coolly. "You broke Mystic Ami's urn and scattered her ashes on the floor."

"You set her spirit free," added Lily. "Our spiritual power is going to disappear now!"

Henry grabbed Anthony and Lily's sleeves. In a low voice he said, "Look, no one has to know that we broke the urn. Nick, go to the kitchen and get the dustpan. Make sure it's empty and clean and it isn't wet after you wash it."

"You're not thinking of throwing away the ashes, are you?" asked Mia.

"No, dummy. We just scoop up her ashes into the dustpan while we repair the urn," explained the boy. "Lily, go get a white cloth and some glue. Anthony, go keep a lookout over there. Mia, keep a lookout on the opposite end for anyone who might be approaching."

His brothers and sister did as they were told. Nick headed for the kitchen. Lily went into the Side Room to find glue and a white piece of cloth. Anthony went to watch for anyone on the east side of the Winding Way while Mia went to keep a lookout on the west side. Henry began picking up the big pieces of the urn. Lily promptly came back from the side room. She laid out the cloth and her brother placed the pieces on top of it. They sat down and began piecing the fragments together.

Nick ran back to the Winding Way with the dustpan in hand. "Got it!"

"Good. Now start sweeping the ashes into the pan," ordered Henry.

Nick knelt down and did as he was told.

Lily turned and flipped the fragments around. "I think this piece goes with piece," she said, grabbing another fragment. She tried fitting them together.

"Are you sure?" asked Henry.

"Make sure it actually says "AMI" on it," said Anthony, craning his neck to see down the hallway.

"And hurry up!" added Mia.

"You can't rush art," Henry replied sarcastically, gluing two pieces together.

"You'll have to rush it if you don't want Mom and Mystic Maya to find out," said Nick.

"You all aren't going to rat out on me, are you?" asked Henry.

"Of course not," said Nick. "Even if it was your fault you broke the urn, we stick together no matter what."

Lily snatched the glue from her brother and began gluing the pieces that had words on it. After some rearranging, a big chunk finally read "AMI" with a few paint splotches. Suddenly enlightened, she quickly pieced the urn back together.

Henry blinked a couple of times. "You're ridiculous," he replied.

Lily beamed. "Thank you!"

Nick picked up the dustpan and poured Ami's ashes into the newly constructed urn. Lily replaced the cover and gingerly set the Sacred Urn back on the table. Anthony and Mia left their posts to admire the urn.

"It looks as if _someone_ didn't knock it over at all," remarked Mia.

"It still has those ugly paint splotches though," said Anthony.

"Mia! Lily!" called Maya.

The five kids hastily moved shoulder to shoulder, covering the urn behind them.

"Mia, Lily! It's time for your training!" Maya appeared at the doorway of the Winding Way. She spotted her three nephews and two nieces. Their behavior looked most peculiar. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," they chorused together.

Maya wished she had her magatama. She was sure there were a lot of Psyche locks around them at the moment. She waved, gesturing to the Meditation Room. Mia and Lily stole a glance at their brothers before leaving the Winding Way. Maya took one last suspicious glance at the three boys before following after her nieces.

(-- --)

That night in the kitchen, Maya and Pearl were on dish duty. Pearl was the one soaping the dishes while her cousin washed them off and dried them with a towel.

"Hey, Pearly, guess what?" began Maya.

"Hm?"

"I think your kids broke Mystic Ami's Sacred Urn."

Pearl smiled. "How do you know?"

"I found tiny blue porcelain fragments and remnants of her ashes on the floor."

They looked at each other and smirked. Perhaps the Fey clan was doomed to repeat the act of breaking the urn over and over again.

"How many times does that make now?" asked Pearl.

"Over three."

"Maybe we should transfer her spirit and ashes to another urn. It should be one that won't break so easily."

Maya laughed. "You go find it. In the meantime, I think I'm going to guilt trip your kids until they confess."

"Oh, that sounds amusing. I'll leave you to it. Although, I suggest cracking Anthony first. The bakery is right down the street after all."

* * *

Finally a chapter about the Kitaki kids!

As I was thinking about the five kids, I began comparing them to different animals. Henry was a fox, Anthony was the rat from the Chinese zodiac, and Nick was a tiger or a lion. I wasn't quite sure about the twins. Henry was originally going to be another Richard, but I decided against it. The Japanese name for the Kitakis is "Kitakitsune," and you often see something about the fox on Wocky (his hair), his mother (her kimono), and his father (his apron) so it would make sense that one of the kids has to be like the fox. I believe that because Henry lives in Kurain Village, he's often bored so he starts using his wit and intelligence to cause some trouble and liven things up. He takes pleasure in seeing what would happen if he did something out of the ordinary.

Other than Henry, I think Anthony is another favorite of mine. I like that he has like a double personality, one of which can only be unlocked by sweets. I find it reminiscent of Chris from Alice 19th.

I rather like the five mischievous Kitaki kids. Perhaps I should write about them again later.

Next chapter: A new Marshall is in town!


	10. Stella Marshall, Future Legend

(-- --)

Chapter 10

Stella Marshall, Future Legend

**(May 31, 2030, Friday)**

Phoenix took a seat on the couch in the Marshalls' home. He picked up a bottle of his favorite grape juice and began flipping through the pages of a newspaper. Summer vacation just started for the kids, and Phoenix was asked to baby-sit the three Marshall kids.

"Uncle Phoenix!" called Stella.

Phoenix looked up to see the older Marshall girl. She was six years old, her brown hair falling down her back. She was clutching her favorite stuffed Blue Badger plushie. She walked across the living room to sit on the couch next to Phoenix.

"You're supposed to be taking a nap right now, Stella," he said.

"I couldn't sleep!" she replied cheerfully. "Uncle Phoenix, tell me a story."

"Well, once upon a time, there was a girl named Stella Marshall who wouldn't go take a nap. Because she didn't, she became cranky and tired by the time her parents got home. The end."

Stella giggled. "No, no! I wanna hear a story from when you were a defense attorney!"

Phoenix suppressed his groan. "Again?"

"Uh huh!"

"Will it help you go to sleep?"

Her eyes twinkled. "May~be!"

"All right…"

Out of all of the kids, Stella was the only one to call Phoenix by his real name. The others usually called him "Uncle Nick." Phoenix was one of Stella's godfathers (the others being Edgeworth and Apollo), but he was her all time favorite. Stella admired him, and she called him "Uncle Phoenix" out of mere respect. She was always asking to hear stories about his time as a lawyer and as a pianist.

"Did you know that I defended your mother in court once?"

"Rea~lly?"

"Yeah. I was a newbie defense lawyer. I had worked on four cases before, but I still was a rookie. Your Auntie Ema came to me looking for help to defend your mom. She was accused for murdering a detective in the parking lot of the prosecutor's office. Actually, the body was found in the trunk of your Uncle Miles' car."

"Oooooooh…so what happened?"

"Well…"

(-- --)

Later that night, Stella found her parents in the living room. Her father was watering his cacti in the window. Her mother was fiddling with the end of her scarf as she read a book.

"Mommy! Daddy! Guess what?!" yelled Stella as she bounded over to her mother.

"What's wrong, Stella?" asked Lana.

"I wanna like Uncle Phoenix when I grow up!"

Lana chuckled. She smoothed out her daughter's bangs and kissed her on the forehead. "Oh, really now?"

"Well, there's a plan," commented Jake.

Stella nodded. "Uh huh! I wanna be a defense attorney!"

"That's nice, dear," said Lana.

"Also, Mommy, can I have piano lessons? I want to play the piano!"

"Hopefully better than Phoenix," remarked Jake.

Stella began swinging her Blue Badger plushie around. She giggled. "Did you hear that, Blue Badger? I'm going to be legend just like my Uncle Phoenix!"

Jake sighed. "It looks like Bambina has her eyes set on something."

(-- --)

**(April 17, 2041, Wednesday)**

Mondo reached over his sister's shoulders to pick up the college pamphlets on the table. "I thought you were going to Ivy University."

Stella didn't bother to turn around. "Why say that?"

"Because you said that you wanted to be like Uncle Nick."

"In terms of being an attorney, pianist, and legend, yes. But I want to be the best attorney there ever was."

Mondo snickered. "_I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was…_" he sang.

Stella picked up her pamphlets and smacked her brother in the arm. "Shut up! And besides, there's another reason why I don't want to go Ivy University."

"Why? You don't want to stay home?"

"Well, that too, but I don't want to study law at the courthouse and run into a male version of Dahlia Hawthorne."

"Point taken."

(-- --)

**(August 3, 2048, Monday)**

_Ack! Palms sweating…hands shaking…eyesight…fading…_

"Stella."

Stella turned around to see Phoenix Wright standing behind her. "Oh! Uncle Phoenix!" Realizing herself, she straightened up. "I mean, Chief!"

"You can call me your uncle like you always have, Stella." Phoenix chuckled.

"Right, sir! I mean! Uncle Phoenix!"

"Are you nervous?"

Stella laughed, abashed. "Y-yeah."

"All newbie lawyers start out that way. But don't worry. I'll be there to help you through the trial."

She nodded eagerly, the knot in her stomach loosening slightly. Stella Marshall, age twenty-four, was taking her first case as a defense attorney. She was part of the Wright Anything Agency. She had finally earned her attorney badge, and she was a step closer to becoming a legend like her Uncle Phoenix. She had dreamed of wearing that attorney badge since she was six. Now, it was finally in her grasp.

"I'm so happy you're my co-council today!"

"And not Apollo? He is the lawyer, you know," said Phoenix. "I haven't participated in a trial for a very long time."

"I know. But I feel a lot more confident if it's you, Uncle Phoenix."

He smiled. "You'll do fine." He looked around the second defendant lobby. "Thirty-two years ago today, I had my first trial here. You're also going to be facing against the same prosecutor I did. Winston Payne is his name."

Stella laughed. "He's _still_ alive?!"

"He's eighty-four. From what I heard from Franziska, he's retiring next year."

Stella took a deep breath, trying to relax her nerves. "It's okay. I can do this. If you and Uncle Polly could beat Prosecutor Payne, then I can, too!"

"Winning isn't everything."

"You're right. It's about defending people in a court of law. Believing in my clients. Saving them from injustice."

_Easier said than done. Ooh, I'm so nervous!_

Phoenix glanced at the courtroom. "It's time. Have some faith, Stella. You can do this."

Stella smoothed out the invisible creases of her suit. She grinned and snapped her fingers.

_Better watch out! A new Marshall is in town!  
_

_

* * *

_I really like this chapter.

In the very beginning, Phoenix was actually going to tell Stella what happened in Case 1-5, but it got so tedious and annoying to write about. After all, that is the longest case in Ace Attorney history. And besides, who actually wants to read that whole thing when we all (most actually) already know what happens? I omitted it from the chapter.

I always love it when people just suddenly break out and start singing Pokemon songs. :)

The date of the final segment is actually the date when Phoenix Wright took his first trial: State vs. Larry Butz. Stella is the same age as Phoenix was then, and they were in the same lobby as the first case. I thought it would make for a good parallel between Stella and Phoenix.

Just like how Apollo makes puns with his own name, I loved Stella making a pun with hers. But I was in a fix whether it should be "A new Marshall is in town!" or "This Marshall is back in town!" I decided to go with the former because the latter sounded like she was already a defense attorney and left town and came back.

Even though Phoenix was disbarred, I still think that he is still a very prominent figure in the courts. I mean, he's done the most ridiculous things in court like cross examining a parrot and an assassin over a radio. He's bluffed his way out of desperate situations and managed back them up with evidence. He also created the Jurist System. He's pretty amazing, so it's no wonder why Stella looks up to him so much.

That's all for now! Happy Easter to those who celebrate today.

Next chapter: She was the black sheep of the family.


	11. The Black Sheep

(-- --)

Chapter 11

The Black Sheep

**(September 3, 2029, Monday)**

Devlin ran across the living room, waving his arms excitedly. The cast on his left arm was now gone.

"Mom's making weenies! Mom's making weenies!" chanted Devlin. "Whoo!"

"Devlin, be careful!" said Maggey from the kitchen. "You'll break your arm again!"

"Mom's making weenies! Mom's making weenies!" the boy chanted again.

"Your mom's right, pal!" said Gumshoe. "I don't think we'll be able to afford another medical bill if you break a bone again!"

Devlin sat down on the floor next to his sister, panting slightly from his run around the room. Kyra was staring up at the TV, watching a soap opera. "Mom's making weenies because I got my cast off today. Aren't you happy?" he asked.

She glanced at her older brother before turning back to the TV. "Hm."

He frowned slightly. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," she replied softly. "The acting in these soap operas is terrible."

"You're no fun."

Kyra made no reply. Dissatisfied, Devlin got up and began running around the room again, chanting about his favorite food.

"Is Kyra watching TV again?" asked Maggey from the kitchen. "Kyra move away from the screen." Kyra blinked and scooted back slightly. "Further!"

Kyra sighed and moved back until her back was touching the couch. "How does she know these things when I'm in another room?" she mumbled.

"Mothers gain an extra set of eyes after they have their first kid, pal," commented Gumshoe.

"Sounds gross," laughed Devlin.

Maggey came out of the kitchen with a plate of weenies, rice, and a few steamed vegetables. She set them onto the table. "Time for dinner!"

Gumshoe and Devlin quickly ran over to the table and took their places, eager to start eating. Kyra calmly shut off the TV and sat down at the table at her own leisurely pace. Father and son quickly filled their plates up with the weenies and rice, completely disregarding the vegetables. On the other hand, Kyra filled her plate up with the rice and vegetables.

Maggey noticed and said, "Is there something wrong, Kyra?"

"No…"

"You're not eating the weenies. I thought you loved them."

"Not anymore."

"Whaddya mean not ahnymoore?" Devlin asked with a full mouth.

"Devlin, don't talk with your mouth full," ordered his mother. "How come you don't like them anymore?"

"I found out that weenies are actually animal fat stuffed into a synthetic casing. I feel bad that animals have to be slaughtered just so we can have meat stuffed into a synthetic casing. I've also read that many places that slaughter animals abuse them before hand. It's just terrible, so I've decided to become a vegetarian," the young girl answered calmly.

"You're missing out," tempted Gumshoe. He stabbed a weenie with his fork and slowly ate it.

"I don't mind."

"So, wait. You're gonna eat like a rabbit?" asked Devlin.

"Is there something _wrong_ with that?"

Devlin noticed the dangerous glint in his sister's usually serene eyes. Even though he was older, he was somehow scared of that look in her eyes. Kyra was so calm and composed. He didn't want to know what would happen if he kept pushing her buttons. He snapped his mouth shut.

Kyra went back to eating her meatless meal. It was then that Maggey realized that her daughter was not like the rest of the family.

(-- --)

**(October 20, 2029, Saturday)**

Phoenix sat down onto the couch next to Maya. Today was Lotte and Lisa's second birthday party, but they weren't officially two for another four days.

"Hey, Maggey," said Phoenix, "I think your daughter's broken."

"What?"

"Apparently, she's a vegetarian now?"

"Oh, yes, I know. She started that last month."

"How can she be a vegetarian?" asked Maya. "Meat is so good! She's missing out on all of the hamburgers!"

Maggey sighed. "Gumshoe said the same thing. He and Devlin have been trying to tempt her into eating meat."

"Any success?" asked Phoenix.

"Her commitment is as solid as a rock." Maggey looked over to see Kyra sitting in a corner and reading Shakespeare's _Much Ado About Nothing_. "We went to go watch _Taming of the Shrew _at the community theater a couple of months ago. Since then, she's also been watching TV a lot more, and she's picked up reading Shakespeare plays."

Phoenix frowned. "She's seven."

"I know. She says that she doesn't understand Shakespeare that much so she bought one of those Sparknotes books that has the "translation" on the opposite page."

"Any ideas why she suddenly picked up Shakespeare? Most kids don't start reading Shakespeare until high school. And even then, they _despise_ it."

"I think she really enjoys it. But TV is another thing. She is always making comments about the acting of the actors."

"Maybe she wants to become an actress when she gets older!" said Maya. "Maybe she could be in the next _Samurai_ franchise!"

"Being a thespian and an actor has its differences. If Kyra wants to be an actress, you'd have to start putting her in commercials or something so she could get some experience," said Phoenix.

"Gumshoe actually wants the kids to become detectives. Devlin is enthusiastic about the idea, but Kyra isn't.

"…are you sure you gave birth to her?"

"Of course I am!"

"Kyra is nothing like you or Gumshoe."

"Or Devlin," added Maya.

"I know. It's strange. She's the only one who knows where everything in the house is. She never loses anything. She refuses to eat meat. She doesn't run around a lot. She's incredibly calm during any kind of commotion."

"Ah, she's a black sheep," said Phoenix.

"Do you still want her to become a detective?" asked Maya.

"I don't want to force her into anything she doesn't want to do. That's not right. But acting doesn't pay well unless you're super famous. I want her to live a comfortable life."

"Money shouldn't matter," said Phoenix. "Her happiness should matter more than anything else."

"Yeah. I don't know. I guess I'll just let live her life however she wants. We'll have to wait and see how it goes from there."

(-- --)

**(September 15, 2036, Monday)**

Monday mornings, actually any morning, involved a lot of yelling and running around the small apartment.

Gumshoe appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. "Maggey, where's my coat?"

"I don't know. Do you know where my hat is?"

"No."

"Dad, your coat is in the dryer. Mom, your hat is on the bedpost in your room," answered Kyra from the table. She was eating a bowl of cereal while reading _Pygmalion_. She didn't look up from the book.

Maggey gave her daughter a strange look before she and her husband left the kitchen to grab their belongings.

"Where the hell is my backpack?!" yelled Devlin from his room. "Kyra!"

"On the couch," she yelled back, turning the page.

Her brother moved past the kitchen to the living room to grab his bag. Gumshoe ran out of the hallway, pulling his trench coat on. Maggey came back into the living room, looking around frantically.

"Now where did I put that checkbook?" she mumbled to herself. Kyra held it up as her mother passed by. "Oh, thank you Kyra!"

"Kyra, come on!" yelled Devlin.

"Coming, coming." Kyra got up from the table and put her empty bowl in the sink as her eyes kept glued to the page. She grabbed her backpack from the chair and followed after her mother to the living room where her brother was waiting. Her father was there, his hands buried in his pockets.

"I can't find my keys," he said.

Kyra held them up in front of his face. "They were on the counter."

Devlin ushered his sister out the door. "Come on!"

Gumshoe and Maggey looked at each other.

"Our daughter knows where everything in this house is!"

"And we don't…"

(-- --)

**(April 2, 2045, Sunday)**

"Isn't this exciting?" asked Maggey as she walked down the row. "We're actually going to be seeing Kyra in a play!"

"This is not the first time we've seen Kyra in a play," remarked Richard.

"The last time we saw Kyra in a play was when she was a senior in high school," said Klavier.

"Playing Titania from _A Midsummer Night's Dream_," added Ema.

"Shakespeare," said Phoenix. "Her favorite."

"It's a shame Diana and Auntie Vera couldn't watch with us," said Lisa.

"_The Little Dog Laughed_ is for mature audiences," said Apollo. "I will not let my daughter watch this."

"Plus, it's got male nudity," added Lotte. "I wonder if the guy getting naked is hot." Her sister giggled.

Kyra was cast in a play called _The Little Dog Laughed_. She was playing the character Diane. Richard, the twins, and Diana were on their spring break. Gumshoe, Maggey, Ema, Klavier, Phoenix, Apollo, and Vera quickly filed for vacation and flew to New York to visit Kyra and see her play. (Unfortunately, Jake, Lana, Edgeworth, and Franziska had to work. Trucy was still recovering from the shock of her miscarriage and wanted to be alone.) The play was for mature audiences, however, so Apollo banned his daughter from watching it. Diana became cross and grudgingly went to spend the afternoon at The Metropolitan Museum of Art with her mother.

Everyone took their seats.

Maggey flipped through the program and held it up. "Oh, look! There it is! "Kyra Gumshoe playing the part of Diane.""

"It's time for the scary actress to shine," said Phoenix. "Look. It's starting."

The lights dimmed. Voices hushed. The curtain rose. Kyra stepped onto the stage wearing a beautiful red gown and black high heels. She stood before the audience with a confident pose, hands on her hips, cocked to one side. There was an air of haughtiness in her face.

In a loud, clear voice, she began to speak. "The beginning. Well, beginnings are always beautiful. Beginnings are—okay, you know _Breakfast at Tiffany's_? The film, not the novella." She chuckled. "I know. There was a novella! Who knew?"

"I knew that," whispered Lisa as everyone around her laughed.

"The beginning! Audrey Hepburn, the most beautiful person _ever_, steps out of a cab in Givenchy, quadruple strands of pearls, and walks to a window of Tiffany's—again, with the beautiful. The melody _Moon River_ wafts in… The beauty quotient is excessively high! Then, beautiful Audrey Hepburn sneaks into her Upper East Side townhouse away from the not-so-beautiful older man, but the running away part is _beautiful!_ And then--" Kyra scoffed, her face turning into a frown. "But then…then, the unthinkable happens. Mickey Rooney…Mickey Rooney in full on Hirohito novelty glasses _and_ buck teeth _and_, "Miss Golightly! I must protest!""

The audience laughed.

Kyra cringed and shivered with disgust. "And we can never recover! She can gab on and on about the mean reds and the cat not having a name, but _sorry_! The beginning is irrevocably ruined." Kyra grinned. "But I digress."

The audience laughed again.

Kyra moved across the stage to stand in front of a chair set out for her. "We are in New York, which we of Los Angeles love, accepting awards from critics, which we love even more so. My client, a rising young movie star, who suffers from a slight..." Kyra rolled her eyes and sighed. "…recurring case of…homosexuality, has informed me that as his date -- _are you possibly seated for this?!_ -- that as his date to this evening ceremony, he would like to bring his _mother_… So that no one will know that he is gay?!" Kyra scoffed and shook her head. "So I quickly throw a flame-retardant blanket on this potential brushfire and volunteer myself as his date. I'm a lesbian. He's a fag. We're in show business. We're the perfect couple!"

Maggey and Gumshoe's mouth fell open with surprise. Richard couldn't stop laughing. They didn't know if it was because he enjoyed the crassness of Kyra's character or because of the look on Maggey and Gumshoe's faces.

"So we walk down the red carpet, the flash of cameras, and I see his delight and warmth grow and flourish, the unmistakable moment when the outcast is allowed indoors. And all it takes is a _little_ deception." Kyra sits down in the chair. "Later, during one of those inevitable moments of introspection that inevitably happen at awards shows, as I'm wondering just how much of my time has been spent in these same old gold chairs, I realize that my evening's date is leaving our table and strolling towards the stage. _He has won!_ His acceptance speech is inspired, and at the end, the part of a deceased relative or recent world horror or a terribly popular costar he's evoked, he calls to me, voice choked with emotion, and extends an open palm, "To Diane," my client states, significant tears finding their lazy way down his derma brazed face. "The woman who taught me how to love…and how to dream." And then, the silence. The vacuum of doubt. The utter disbelief that that pansy _actually went there!_"

"This play rocks," Richard whispers to Lotte.

"But a room full of show business professionals quickly recover, remembering that there are cameras everywhere, surely one of which is broadcasting this moment because there are movie stars involved. The room obligingly produces a polite smattering of applause. And then, the realization that a dream must be upheld, so Peter Pan, the little fairy Tinker Bell's defense, the room bursts—no, _explodes_ into applause and cheering! He walks down, presents his award to me, takes me in his masculine arms, and kisses me full on the lips. And here is the part that is the most _luscious_." Kyra's expression softens and her voice becomes softer. "I am actually touched…I really like him! And he likes me! He just told everybody, and that really means something--" The soft expression on her face disappears and is replaced with disgust as she adds, "--if it weren't for the look of fucking shock on my face!"

The audience burst into laughter and applause as Kyra exited the stage.

(-- --)

"That was a great play!" laughed Richard as the curtains fell, putting an end to the ovation.

"I'm guessing Diane is your favorite character?" asked Lisa.

"Of course! Kyra did a great job!"

"I never knew she could curse like that," said Maggey.

"I never knew she could scream like that," added Gumshoe.

"Are you talking about that restaurant scene?" asked Klavier.

"I liked that scene," said Richard. "Actually I liked any scene with Kyra. She was _awesome_!"

"She really is a scary actress," said Phoenix. "Kyra may not have the balls that Diane does, but she played the part perfectly."

"You know," said Apollo, "sometimes knowing the actor ruins the character. You can't get into character because you know the actor too well. But today, I was able to get into her character."

"She was very believable," said Ema. "And I think we could get into Diane's character because we _know_ Kyra. We know that she wouldn't do anything that that character Diane would do."

Maggey turned to her husband. "I think that our daughter could be really successful with this," she said.

"We've always wanted her to become a police officer or a detective," said Gumshoe.

"Her calling is at the theater, not at the precinct."

He nodded.

"She's a real black sheep. But I'm so proud of her."

* * *

The term "black sheep" actually means someone who is a disgrace to a family, society, etc. I don't mean it as derogatory in this chapter. I only mean it in the context of being different from the rest. (If anyone is an actual black sheep, it would have to be Richard.)

So now, the chapter is about Kyra. I really enjoy writing these chapters on characters who don't have much of the spotlight. Out of the kids, Lotte, Lisa, Richard, Luna, and Diana are usually the ones who are in the spotlight, so it's good to have chapters about the other kids like Stella and Kyra.

The first segment of the chapter takes place shortly after the events of the first chapter when Devlin ends up breaking his arm.

_The Little Dog Laughed_ is a play by Douglas Carter Beane. My college was performing the play in February, and I went to go see it. I absolutely loved it. It is really funny, and you should totally go watch it if you ever get the chance. However, you should be warned. The play is so not for little kiddies. It's about the equivalent of a rated R movie. There is a lot of cussing, deals with homosexuality, and there is one nudity scene. Also, if you're going to go watch the play, make sure it isn't with your parents. That would just be awkward. The monologue that Kyra performs is the opening monologue made by the character Diane. I had to go onto youtube to find the full monologue and then write it up by ear, so I'm probably missing a few things or misheard some of the words.

Before the movie _Breakfast at Tiffany's_, there was the novella by Truman Capote. When his novella was made into a movie, Capote thought that the movie was an absolute disaster. However, the movie totally eclipses the novella now. Seriously, who knew that there was a novella?

That's all for now!

Next chapter: The Wright Anything Agency.


	12. The Wright Anything Agency

AN: Rather minor spoilers for Cases 1-2, 4-1, 4-2, and 4-4. Just saying.

(-- --)

Chapter 12

The Wright Anything Agency

Before Phoenix Wright owned his own office, it was known as the Fey & Co. Law Offices. It was run by Mia Fey, ace defense attorney who had broken away from Grossberg Law Offices to start her own firm.

After Mia's murderer was brought to justice, the Fey & Co. Law Offices became the Wright & Co. Law Offices. It served as a base of operations for Phoenix with Maya, and eventually Pearl, as his assistants. It was preserved just the way it was when it was Fey & Co. Charley stood in the corner of the room, bright and full of life. Mia's old law books were stacked neatly on the shelf, a layer of dust slowly encasing them. The only changes made around the office were the constant change of the posters, thanks to Maya. As the Wright & Co. Law Offices stood, Phoenix handled over sixteen cases.

The Wright & Co. Law Offices then became the Wright Talent Agency shortly after Phoenix was disbarred from being a lawyer. With his new daughter Trucy, the Wright Talent Agency only had two members. (Edgeworth thought that was so sad, he couldn't bring himself to laugh about it.) There wasn't much talent to go around the agency. Trucy was a magician, and Phoenix became a pianist, though he couldn't play a note to save his life.

Seven years later, the Wright Talent Agency was renamed as the Wright Anything Agency when Phoenix hired Apollo. Since then, the Wright Anything Agency title stuck, and the small group of three began to grow.

Maya and Pearl became the fourth and fifth members. Phoenix hired them as honorary members because they couldn't be at the agency all the time. If their help as spirit mediums were needed, Phoenix directed the clients to Kurain. Trucy thought it would be a great scheme to bill the client twice: once from the Wright Anything Agency and once by Maya. Phoenix only laughed and took a swig of grape juice.

Vera became the sixth member when she married Apollo. True to her word, she began creating original works, signing them as "Vera Justice" instead of using her father's name. Her paintings and sketches became rather famous. Many rich folk employed her services for portraits of their families or her own original paintings.

At the age of five, Diana became the seventh member of the Wright Anything Agency. She had expressed interest in art like her mother. As a child, she was always stealing her mother's supplies to create her own art. (Vera wasn't even angry when she found out. Apollo was angry over the fact that his daughter had developed a habit for having sticky fingers; he believed it was caused by a notion she learned from Phoenix and Trucy: "If you want something, go find it or 'borrow' it. And when in doubt, beg.") Diana experimented with different kinds of art. At the age of thirteen, she began photography. Her art improved over time, and she began to sell a lot of her work to various shops.

The eighth member was Stella Marshall. The moment she turned up on the doorstep of the office, back from England, Phoenix hired her. He knew that Stella had set her sights on becoming a defense attorney. It was only natural that she would want to work for the man she admired the most. With Stella on board, Phoenix also had more time to relax. Anything piano related was directed to her.

The ninth member was Richard Edgeworth. When he came back from Germany with his attorney badge, Phoenix gave him a job. The whole agency kept it a secret of course. They didn't want Edgeworth and Franziska to find out until Richard made his debut. He didn't do much else when he wasn't working on a case other than making smart comments.

Things were always lively at the Wright Anything Agency, even when it used to be three members. As more people joined, the louder it got. It was constantly changing.

The only thing that remained unchanged was Charley sitting in the corner, his green leaves as vibrant as ever.

* * *

There's no date to this chapter. I couldn't really pinpoint a specific date because it takes place sometime before and after February 16, 2051. I bet you could guess the significance of that date, but that's another story for another time.

Ah, Diana. Phoenix's bad influence knows no bounds, and it's even reached her. Coupled with what Trucy says about "borrowing" in Case 4-3 as well as hiimdaisy's "Phoenix Wright: Terrible Dad" comic, Diana has grown up learning thing that she really shouldn't do.

Short chapter, so there aren't a lot of notes. Stay tuned!

Next Chapter: It wasn't the first time a rift formed.


	13. Rift

(-- --)

Chapter 13

Rift

**(October 6, 2027, Wednesday)**

Ema's eyes fluttered open, only to be greeted by something _glimmerous_, and it wasn't the sun. She raised her head, resting her chin on Klavier's chest.

"Morning," he greeted.

She smiled softly. "Morning." She snuggled up to him.

"We're going to be late for work," he said quietly.

Ema's smile broadened. "I don't think I can go to work today."

"And why not?"

Ema raised her left hand and said, "This ring is weighing me down." She stared at the diamond ring on her left ring finger. It sparkled in the light streaming through the curtains. She faced her fiancée and grinned.

Klavier chuckled and pressed his lips to Ema's forehead. "Oh, that is serious. Maybe you should stay home."

"Maybe I should." Ema reached up to run her fingers against Klavier's jaw. "I think you should, too."

"I have a lot of work to do at the office."

"Dump it on Mr. Edgeworth's desk."

"I think him and Mrs. Edgeworth have their hands full with work and running after Richard."

Klavier and Ema laughed. "Is that going to be us soon?" she asked, sitting up. "Running after a kid?"

"I'm looking forward to it." Klavier sat up in the bed. He brushed Ema's hair to the side and placed a soft kiss on her neck. "Are you going to stay here?"

"I think I will. Maybe I'll get a head start with planning for the wedding."

"And your work?"

"Dump it on Gumshoe's desk. And pay him for it. God knows that he could use the money to buy real food for his family. I don't like the idea of Devlin and Kyra growing up on instant noodles."

They laughed again before sharing a sweet kiss and going their separate ways.

(-- --)

"Lana!" called Ema, running up to her sister. Lana was sitting down at a table just outside of a café. Ema hastily sat down across from her sister.

"What's wrong, Ema? You called me out to lunch so suddenly."

Ema held up her left hand for her sister to see. "I'm engaged!"

Lana blankly stared at the diamond ring on her sister's hand. Did she just say that she was engaged? She hoped that Ema was kidding. She was engaged to Klavier Gavin, the man she had been dating for the past three months. This had to be some kind of joke. Right?

"L-Lana?" Ema asked tentatively.

"E-engaged?" began Lana.

"Uh huh! Klavier asked me last night."

"But you've only been dating for three months."

"So?"

"What do you mean, "so?" Ema, it's too soon for both of you to get married! Don't you think you should date a little longer before walking down the aisle?"

Ema crossed her arms and frowned. "Lana, we're in love."

Lana scowled. "Only after three months?!"

"Stop saying that! I love him and he loves me! We're getting married! End of story!"

"Oh my God, are you pregnant?" asked Lana.

"Lana, no! But we want kids in the future."

Lana ran her hands through her hair, tugging at it in frustration. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her baby sister was rushing into marriage with a man she had only been dating for three months. Three months – that was still the infatuation phase. They were running on the chemical high called infatuation. Did they really mistake that for love? It was a recipe for divorce.

"I don't approve of this engagement _at all_. Ema, I think you're making a big mistake," said Lana.

"And I don't," countered Ema.

"Fine then. Don't say I didn't warn you." Lana stood up and grabbed her purse. "In six months and you're getting ready for your divorce, call me, and I'll tell you I told you so."

And just like that, another rift formed.

(-- --)

"Can you believe it?!" yelled Lana. "She's marrying him only after _three months_!" She paced around her bed as Jake sat on the foot of the bed. Her kids were asleep.

"Lana--" began Jake.

"It's like their relationship is that of a bunch of teenagers who just started dating! It's not really love! _Hello!_"

"Lana, think about it," said Jake. "Your sister is getting married. She's twenty-six. She can make her own decisions--"

"Which side are you on?!"

"I'm not taking sides--"

"Well, pick one! Pick a side!"

"I'm on your side!" Jake grabbed his wife by the hips and forced her to sit on the bed.

Lana sighed angrily. "She's rushing into marriage."

"Don't you think you're being a hypocrite?" asked Jake.

Lana leaned back and raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"What about us?"

"What _about_ us?"

"We rushed into marriage."

"We did not! With us, it was different. We had a common law marriage before we formally got married."

"Well, Mrs. Marshall, common law marriage is not recognized in California," explained Jake. "And we only formally got married because you got pregnant with Mondo."

Lana's eyes widened and clamped a hand over her husband's mouth. "Ssh! You're not supposed to say that so loudly! I don't want him and the girls to know that Mondo was conceived out of wedlock."

Jake kissed the palm of her hand. "But it's true. We only got married because we had Mondo. We rushed into marriage because of a baby."

"Jake, it was different with us," said Lana. "Ema's getting married after dating Klavier for three months. We dated for three years and lived together for two of the three. And we dated before…you know. _That_ incident. Ema and Klavier have known each other for two, three years. They dated for three months. It's too soon for them!"

"The important thing is that your sister is getting _married_. She's a grown up now. She can take care of herself. And if, God forbid, that they end up getting divorced, you need to be there to hold her hand and comfort her."

Lana sighed. "You're right. You're absolutely right." She ran a hand through her hair. "I'll go speak with her tomorrow."

(-- --)

**(October 7, 2027, Thursday)**

The two sisters stared at each other from opposite sides of the doorway.

"I didn't expect you," Ema said slowly.

"Jake talked some sense into me last night."

"…go on."

"I'm still your older sister, and I just have to get used to the fact that you're a grown woman now. You can make your own decisions. You have my blessing."

Ema nodded. "Thank you."

Lana extended her arms and pulled her sister into a hug. "I still don't approve," she added.

Ema chuckled. "I know. Your blessing is enough for me."

(-- --)

**(December 5, 2043, Saturday)**

"Do you want to say "I told you so" now?" asked Ema.

"Huh? About what?" asked Lana.

"About the divorce."

Lana chuckled. "Oh, honey, I said that if your marriage lasted only six months. You lasted for fifteen years. Much better than I ever expected."

"But I'm still getting divorced."

"I know. But you proved me wrong. I thought that you and Klavier weren't really in love when you guys got engaged. But you really were for fifteen years."

"And it'll all come to a close."

Lana smiled. "You can't be too sure about anything."

* * *

I decided to take a break from all of the stories about the kids and write a piece about the main characters. I believe that in "The Parent Trap," mentioned something about how Lana objected to Ema's marriage to Klavier because they only dated for three months. I always wanted to write a companion piece that would elaborate on that. If you've read "Parent Trap" then you might recognize the date of the last segment. That was the day that Jake, Klavier, the twins, Luna, and Eva went on the camping trip.

The chapter also adds a little insight on Jake and Lana's relationship. :)

Next Chapter: They were never too old for tea.


	14. Tea Party

(-- --)

Chapter 14

Tea Party

**(December 16, 2038, Thursday)**

Vera thought the kids were acting strange today. They were all on Christmas break, and that gave them the freedom to do whatever they wanted. But did that have to include all of them in her apartment? Devlin, Kyra, and Mondo were clearly old enough to take care of themselves and their younger siblings, so when Devlin showed up on her doorstep with his car keys in his hand and his sister, the three Marshall kids, Richard, and the twins behind him, she was rather cautious.

And they all claimed that they just wanted to play with Diana.

Five year old Diana was playing in the living room with a tea set.

"Aw! I remember these!" said Stella, holding up a plastic cup and saucer. "We used to have one, didn't we, Luna?"

"Oh yeah!" said Luna, joining her sister on the couch. She picked up one of the plastic cups and saucers. She pretended to drink from the cup with a pinky extended out. "We used to have little tea parties with our stuffed animals when we were kids!"

"Did you ever put actual tea in them?" asked Devlin.

"You _never_ put hot tea into a plastic tea set!" said Kyra. "The heat will melt away the plastic and drinking it is incredibly unhealthy."

"You could put iced tea in the tea pot!" said Richard.

"That's a brilliant idea!" said Devlin. He got up and went to the fridge. He opened it up and took out a bottle of Nestea Iced Tea.

"What are you doing?" asked Diana.

"We're going to play a game called Office," the oldest boy answered.

Diana smiled and cocked her head to the side. "How do you play that?"

"Easy." Devlin picked up the tea set and set it on the dining table.

The Justice family had a very big dining table for a small family. It was because Phoenix, Trucy, and others often visited for dinner. There was a chair at both ends of the table. Four chairs were lined up each side. Devlin sat down at the head of the table.

"I'm the President of this company."

"We're all doomed!" yelled Richard.

"Shut up, Richard. Mondo will be Vice-President."

"Sweet!" Mondo high-fived Devlin and took a seat to his right.

"Kyra will be the secretary."

Kyra nodded and sat down on the other side of her brother.

"Stella will be the Chief Attorney."

"Yes!" She sat down next to Kyra.

"Luna can be our Ambassador of Good Will."

The youngest Marshall laughed and took a seat next to her brother.

"Richard will be the Trickster."

The boy smirked and sat down next to Stella.

"Lotte can be the Master of Music--"

"You mean Mistress of Music," corrected Mondo. ""Master" denotes a male."

Devlin frowned. "Whatever. And Lisa can be _Mistress_ of All Knowledge."

The twins beamed and both sat down next to Luna.

"And what can I be?" asked Diana.

"Visionary Artist," answered Kyra.

"Yay!" Diana sat down next to Richard. "This is a strange office."

"It's an awesome office," corrected Devlin.

"Okay, so we're all here in an office," said Lisa. "What is the Nestea and tea set for?"

Devlin grinned. He opened up the bottle of Nestea and took off the cover of the tea pot. He poured it into the tea pot until it was filled to the rim before replacing the cover.

"Kyra, serve everyone a cup of tea and let's get this meeting started."

Kyra rolled her eyes and began to pour everyone a cup of Nestea. She passed them all out to everyone.

Luna blankly looked at the small amount of tea in the small cup. "We never did this."

"Is this sanitary?" asked Lisa.

"If you die of it, then I guess not," said Richard.

"Oh, it's nothing. Go drink it," said Devlin.

Diana grasped Richard's sleeve. "I'm scared," she whispered. "I don't think Devlin knows that I once put Mommy's paints in the cups."

"I heard that, Diana!" said Mondo. "All right, no one drink the Nestea."

Vera came back into the dining room to see the kids gathered at the table. "_What_ are you guys doing?"

"Playing Office," answered Diana.

"It's actually more of a tea party without drinking the tea," said Mondo.

"Was this your idea?"

"No. It was Devlin's."

Vera frowned. "Devlin, you're seventeen."

"So?"

"I thought that seventeen year old boys don't play make believe games anymore."

"What? Can't we play a few games from our childhoods anymore?"

She sighed. "You're a strange bunch, I swear."

* * *

Another piece with all of the kids when they were younger, only this one includes Diana.

Who hasn't done this before: taken a plastic tea set and put Nestea or any kind of tea in it and serve it? I know I have. My cousins, my sister, and I did the same exact thing. I think my cousins are were at least thirteen at the time. I didn't wash it out too well, so there are still some remnants of the Nestea inside the cups and tea pot. xD

The date is the same date as the Boston Tea Party.

That's all for now.

Next chapter: The cat was out of the bag. (Part 1)


	15. The Cat is Out of the Bag, Part 1

AN: This piece is two comprised of two parts, both focusing on Richard (_yay!_). You'll know what the second part will be about by the time you finish this chapter. But anyway, read on.

(-- --)

Chapter 15

The Cat is Out of the Bag, Part 1

**(February 16, 2051, Thursday)**

"I have to admit, you have balls," said Stella.

Richard turned his nose up slightly. "Of course. This is me we're talking about here."

Stella crossed her arms over her chest. "Not everyone takes on Miles Edgeworth for their first case. He won't go easy on you, even if you are his only son."

"I'm hoping he'll be too shocked to put up a good fight."

"You know very well that won't happen. This is Uncle Miles. He doesn't show any mercy when trying to find the truth."

Today was the day Richard Edgeworth, age twenty-five, was making his debut as a defense attorney. He was employed by the Wright Anything Agency. Today was the day that Richard was going to reveal his true profession to his parents. He wasn't the prosecutor they wanted him to be. He was following in his grandfather's footsteps instead.

Stella was his co-council for the trial. She had made a name for herself since her first trial three years ago. She had finally stepped up from being a newbie defense lawyer to being quite experienced. She took as many trials as possible. She wasn't picky like Apollo. So far, she had only lost three trials, but record wasn't everything.

Stella sighed. "The path to the truth is long and hard – _Shut up, Richard_ – I just know that this won't be an easy trial." She checked her watch. "All right, it's time. Get in there."

Richard started laughing harder.

Stella kicked him in the back, nudging him towards the courtroom. There was a small imprint of her heel. "Shut up! You're twenty-five! Act like a professional."

"I'm sorry!" he said in between laughs.

"I swear to god, if you disgrace the Wright Anything Agency, I'm going to beat the shit out of you after your parents are through chewing you out."

(-- --)

"The court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Hersh Ebar," announced the Judge.

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor," said Edgeworth.

"The defense is ready, Your Honor," said Richard. He calmly stared at his father across the courtroom. Inside, his stomach clenched with nerves. Even the great Richard Edgeworth was human. His father's face was calm, but he could see a frown creased in his eyebrows. His eyes read surprise and confusion.

Stella stifled her laugh. "It's like looking in a mirror," she whispered. "Only, you don't wear a frilly cravat."

"Mr. Richard Edgeworth, I believe this is your first trial?" asked the Judge.

"Indeed it is, Your Honor."

The Judge turned to Edgeworth. "Mr. Edgeworth, I didn't know your son was a defense attorney."

Edgeworth's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "Neither did I, Your Honor." He glanced up to the audience where his wife was sitting. She was staring directly at Richard, her hands clenched together.

"Now, Mr. Edgeworth. Your opening statement please."

"Thank you, Your Honor. The defendant, Mr. Hersh Ebar was found standing over the body of the victim, his girlfriend Candy Kane. They were discovered by the victim's best friend, Ginger Bred, and the victim's ex-boyfriend, Court Bred. This is the gun used to kill the victim."

The Judge nodded. "The court accepts this into evidence."

The bailiff handed the gun in a plastic bag to Richard. Richard looked at it carefully.

_It's a 22-caliber Colt revolver. Two shots were fired, just like it says in my court record._

"Richard," said Stella. "Make sure you pay attention to any evidence added during the trial. Use them to point out any contradictions."

"I know, I know! I'm not a baby!"

_Candy Kane, age 22. Aspiring model and actress. Apparently, Mr. Ebar was her on and off again boyfriend. When she wasn't dating Mr. Ebar, she was dating Miss Bred's brother, Court. Candy and Hersh were going to be engaged, and Miss Kane's mother opposed it. Ginger was best friends with Candy. They competed against each other. Candy actually had an audition at Global Studios when she was found dead yesterday morning._

The Judge banged his gavel. "Mr. Edgeworth, the prosecution may call its first witness."

"Very well. The prosecution would like to call Detective Devlin Gumshoe to the stand."

Devlin took the stand and looked at both sides of the courthouse before laughing.

"Oh, that's funny. Edgeworth vs. Edgeworth!" he laughed.

"Detective, please stay on topic. Now, please testify to the court about the crime scene."

"Yes, sir!" Devlin saluted Edgeworth. "On Tuesday night, the silent alarm of the Kane household was triggered. The alarm company called the police and the intruder was caught. His name was Reese Eeys. There were signs of attempted entry, but the door was still intact and secure. The police did not enter the home.

"Yesterday was supposed to be the victim's audition at Global Studios. The defendant was going to pick up the victim and drive her to the studio. Miss Ginger Bred and her brother went to the house to wish the victim good luck. That is when they discovered the defendant standing over the body of the victim.

"_Hold it!" _yelled Richard. "What time was the body discovered?"

"Around ten in the morning," answered Devlin. "The 22-caliber Colt revolver was found in the victim's left hand. There were traces of gunpowder on her hand. Two bullets were fired from the gun. A single bullet was found in her right temple. It exited from the left occipital lobe of the brain. The second bullet was never found."

"Couldn't this just be ruled as a suicide?" asked Edgeworth.

"There was a suicide note left on the dresser. There were drops of the victim's blood on the side of the note."

"_Objection!_" yelled Richard. He turned to Stella and added in a low voice, "Damn, that felt good."

Stella slapped him on the arm. "Ssh! Go make your point!"

"Yes, Mr. Richard?" asked the Judge. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes, there is. There is no way that this could be a suicide. As the Detective has just stated, the murder weapon was found in the victim's left hand, and yet, one of the bullets was found in her _right temple_," reasoned Richard. He pointed at his father. "How do you explain that? It's quite simple, actually. The killer set it all up to make it look like a suicide. The killer shot the victim and placed the gun in her left hand to get her fingerprints all over it. Then they fired the second shot in an aimless direction to get the gunpowder on her hand. However, they completely disregarded the fact that the victim was shot in the right temple!"

Stella grinned. "Not bad, Richard!"

"Is that so?" asked Edgeworth. "You're basically saying that the defendant was in the middle of staging the victim's "suicide" when Mr. and Miss Bred found him?"

_Shit! I totally forgot about that!_

"_Objection!_" said Richard. "Detective, what was the time of death estimated?"

Devlin held up a file. "I have the autopsy report right here. It says that the estimated time of death was around 4 am."

"If that is the case, then why would my client stage such a thing, _six hours_ after he "presumably" shot his fiancée?"

The Judge banged his gavel. "I've heard enough for now. I will call a thirty minute recess. In the meantime, Mr. Edgeworth please prep your next witness."

(-- --)

It was to be expected that Edgeworth and Franziska would charge into the defense courtroom lobby once the Judge called for a recess. Stella was in the middle of talking to Richard when she heard Mr. and Mrs. Edgeworth yelling.

"Richard!" screamed Franziska. "What the hell are you doing on the side of the defense?!"

Richard glanced at Stella. "Get ready for some fireworks."

Stella held up her hands and moved away, sitting down on the couch to watch the show.

Edgeworth grabbed the lapel of Richard's suit. He immediately recognized the pin. "You're a defense attorney."

"That's right," said Richard.

"We thought we sent you to Germany to become a prosecutor," said Franziska.

Richard smiled cheekily. "Surprise."

His mother clenched her fists.

Edgeworth looked at Stella. "Did you know about this?"

Stella opened her mouth to say something before shutting it closed. She smiled meekly. "I'm scared to say anything."

Edgeworth turned back to his son. "Why are you a defense attorney?"

"I'm an Edgeworth, not a von Karma. I wanted to be a defense attorney just like my grandfather. I wanted to take the path that you didn't take."

Edgeworth closed his eyes for a moment before shaking his head. "I have work to do," said Edgeworth. "I'll see you after the recess." He left.

Franziska turned to leave when Richard called out, "Mom… I'm not doing this to be disrespectful, please know that. This is something I want to do."

She stared at her son for a moment before nodding and turning away.

When they were gone, Stella crossed her arms and frowned with disappointment. "Hmph. Some fireworks that was."

There was a clap of footsteps in the lobby. Richard turned around in time to see two arms fly around his neck. He took a couple of steps back to steady himself from the impact.

"Richard~!" called Lotte.

Richard wrapped his arms around Lotte's slim waist. "Hey Lotte. Long time no see."

When she detached herself from him, he finally could get a good look at her. He hadn't seen her for almost two years. He had been so busy trying to get his attorney badge in Germany that he rarely had any time to fly back home. New York definitely had been good to her though. There was a subtle difference about her, and yet, she was almost the same. She still stood and walked with the same regal air. Her hair was the same length, azure eyes still shining. Maybe the New York fashion was what made her seem a little different. She looked taller, but it was only because of the heels she wore. He couldn't quite explain it. Maybe it was those curves of her body. Did she always have those curves?

"Stella~!" called Lotte. She sat down on the couch to give her cousin a hug.

"I didn't know you were back in LA, Lotte," said Stella.

"Yeah. They're doing something at Columbia so all classes were cancelled for the next two weeks. I don't even understand why. I just thought that I might as well spend it at home."

"When did you get back?" asked Richard.

"Last night." Lotte smiled. "I went to visit the Prosecutor's Office, and Daddy told me that you were having your first trial today so I rushed over here."

"Richard's doing pretty well for a rookie going up against the famous Miles Edgeworth," commented Stella.

Lotte poked him in the leg with her foot. "Feeling the first trial nerves?"

Richard scoffed. "I never get nervous."

She shook her head with a smirk on her lips. "Cocky bastard."

"_Immer, Liebling_," he replied with a grin.

Lotte looked taken aback for a moment before accepting his challenge by saying, "_Sind Sie flirtet mit mir?"_

He winked at her. "_Klar, warum nicht?"_

Stella eyed the two. Now here was a different kind of fireworks, and she didn't know if she should be around for it. She felt like she was _intruding_.

"Why do you have to speak in German?" asked Stella.

"Maybe you should have taken German in high school," said Lotte. "Then you would be able to understand us."

"Uh, excuse me; I wanted to be a lawyer. I took Latin." Stella got up from the couch and smoothed out the creases in her suit. "I'm going to look into something. Richard, the trial resumes in ten minutes. I will kill you if you aren't back there by then." She hugged her cousin before walking off, giving the two some privacy.

"Yes, boss."

Lotte laughed as her cousin left. "Ah, she's got you whipped!"

"It's only because she's older than me and has more experience."

Lotte laughed again. "She's got you whipped!"

Richard sat down next to Lotte and nudged her. "Hey." He could see her long, tan legs crossed neatly.

"Yeah?"

"_Wenn ich gewinne dieser Studie, gibst du mir einen Kuß?"_

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"Let's not and say we did."

"Oh, come on."

"_Peu importe, vous méritez un baiser," _Lotte said quietly.

"In a language I can understand, please."

"I said fine. You deserve it no matter what. But does it have to be me?"

"Why not? It wouldn't be the first time."

Lotte cringed. "I didn't like the first time."

"You will this time."

"Is that a promise?" She held out her hand.

Richard gave her a firm handshake and grinned. "You know I keep my promises."

"Well, you better keep your promise to Stella and get ready for round two of the trial."

(-- --)

When Richard went back into the courtroom to take his place, he found Stella already there.

She grinned at him. "I have something for you."

"And what's that?" She handed him a file. "What is this?"

"It's the handwriting analysis of that suicide note found on the victim's dresser."

"How did you get this?" asked Richard. He began thumbing through it.

"After I left you and Lotte, I went to go pry it from Devlin," she answered. "I'm now in charge of doing his laundry for a month."

He grinned. "You're awesome."

Stella flipped her hair and smirked. "I know, right?"

"_Mom and Dad, I can't go on like this. I needed to be loved. –Candy"_

_The "suicide" note is a fake. A sample of Miss Kane's handwriting was taken from one of her class notes. They do not match. A handwriting analysis was also done on Court Bred, Ginger Bred, and Hersh Ebar. The handwriting on the suicide note matches Ginger Bred._

Richard looked at Stella. "Ginger Bred? The best friend?"

Stella nodded. "That's not all. Devlin said that they found a fingerprint on the suicide note. He included the analysis for that as well."

_A fingerprint was found on the suicide note. A sample of Miss Kane's fingerprints was taken from her room. They do not match the print on the suicide note. We analyzed the prints from the Mr. and Miss Bred, and Hersh Ebar. The print matches Ginger Bred._

"If they have this kind of evidence, then why do we have to have a trial? It's obvious that Miss Bred was the one who killed her best friend," said Richard.

"You and Uncle Miles may know that, but the Jurors don't. You'll have to drag the truth out of her. I suspect that she will be called to take the stand."

"I'll do just that."

Edgeworth entered the courtroom and took his place behind the prosecutor's bench. The Judge entered the room from his chambers and banged his gavel.

"Court will now reconvene. Mr. Edgeworth, you may call your next witness."

"I would like to call Mr. Hersh Ebar to the stand." A man with brown hair and dark eyes took the stand. "Witness, please state your name and occupation."

"My name is Hersh Ebar. I'm a plumber."

"Thank you. Now, would you please testify to the court what you saw when you discovered the body of the victim."

"I found Candy's body yesterday morning. The night before, she asked me to pick her up and drive her to her audition at Global Studios," explained Hersh.

"_Hold it!"_ yelled Richard. "What time were you supposed to pick her up?"

"She said that she wanted to leave before 10 am. Her audition was at 12."

"All right. Please continue."

"I arrived at her apartment just a little before 10 am. I knocked on the door and rang the doorbell, but there was no answer. I tried calling her home phone and cell phone, but she didn't pick up. So I used the hide-a-key to let myself in. Nothing happened when I called out her name. I looked around the apartment when I found her in her bedroom on the floor, a gun in her hand…blood around her…"

"_Hold it!_ Was there any sign of a struggle?"

"No," said Hersh.

"Did you see any trace of bruises on the victim's body?"

"_Objection!"_ yelled Edgeworth. "The autopsy report clearly states that no bruises were found on body, indicating that there wasn't a struggle."

"Then it meant that the killer had to have been someone that the victim knew."

"I don't think Mr. Ebar is lying," said Stella.

"If that is the case, then I have no more questions."

The Judge nodded. He banged his gavel. "Then this cross-examination is over. Mr. Ebar, you may step down. Mr. Edgeworth, please call your next witness."

Edgeworth nodded. "I would like to call Miss Ginger Bred to the stand."

A pretty woman with light brown hair and hazel eyes took the stand.

"Witness, please state your name and occupation."

The woman flipped her hair and said, "I'm Ginger Bred. I'm a model and actress."

"Now Miss Bred, would you please testify as to what happened when you found Mr. Ebar yesterday morning."

"Yesterday, Candy was supposed to have an audition at Global Studios," began Ginger. "Hersh was supposed to pick her up at her apartment and drive her to the studio. I wanted to wish her good luck so my brother and I went to Candy's apartment. The door was unlocked so we went inside. From the doorway, we saw Hersh standing over the body of my best friend with a gun in his hands!"

"_Objection!_" yelled Richard. "The gun was found in the victim's left hand with her fingerprints on it. It is impossible that you saw the defendant holding the murder weapon. If you found him with the gun in his hand, it wouldn't have been possible for him to "stage" the victim's suicide."

Ginger frowned. "Maybe he was so shocked at the sight of Candy's body that he picked up the gun."

Richard saw something flicker in his father's eyes.

"_Objection! _There still lies a contradiction," said Richard. "You keep insisting that my client was holding the gun. There weren't any of his fingerprints on the gun."

"Maybe he wiped them off."

"In front of you and Mr. Bred? I don't think so."

"Miss Bred," cut in Edgeworth, "can you please testify as to why you think Mr. Ebar killed the victim?"

"Huh?"

"The motive," explained Richard. "What was the motive for killing the victim?"

"Maybe Hersh didn't like the fact that Candy was going to be famous. After all, he's just a plumber."

"That's a low blow," said Stella. "So he went through all the trouble to kill his fiancé and make it look like a suicide?"

Ginger smirked. "Hmph. Obviously. He just didn't do it well enough."

"Funny, you should say that," said Richard. "Because a fingerprint and handwriting analysis was performed on the "suicide" note we found on the victim's dresser. The handwriting doesn't match the victim's or Mr. Ebar's but yours Miss Bred. In addition, your fingerprints were found on it."

Ginger flinched as if she was just slapped in the face. "Uh…"

"Would you like to explain that, Miss Bred?"

"I…"

"It's quite clear who the real killer is." Richard pointed at the witness. "It's you, Ginger Bred!"

"Did you do it because of jealousy?" asked Edgeworth. "Your best friend was starting to surpass you, and you couldn't handle that so you shot the victim and set it up to look like a suicide?"

Ginger clenched her fists. "I did what any sensible person did!" she yelled. "I admit it! I killed Candy!"

The courtroom erupted into an outrage. The Judge banged his gavel multiple times, trying to bring order to the court.

The Jurists delivered their verdict for Hersh Ebar.

Not guilty.

(-- --)

It was a wonderful night that everyone went out drinking to celebrate Richard's first victory and the start of a promising career as a defense attorney. With the good influx of cash in the Wright Anything Agency, for once, Phoenix willingly offered to pay for the drinks.

Ginger Bred confessed to her crime. After Reese Eeys tried to break into Candy Kane's apartment, Candy asked Ginger to come over and spend the night because she was uneasy about being alone. Ginger was jealous that Candy had an audition with Global Studio. She was also angry over the fact that Candy was going to be engaged to Hersh Ebar instead of being together with her brother. Ginger shot Candy and set it up to look like a suicide. She was detained for the murder of Candy Kane.

By the end of the night, Phoenix and Apollo were drunk. Thankfully, Trucy and Stella were sober. They helped them into a cab bound for the Agency so they could work off their hangovers at the office. Ema and Klavier went home early without drinking much. They had to work the next day. Devlin and his father had to work the next day as well, but that didn't stop them from drinking a little. They were rather drunk because they had a beer chugging contest. Franziska got them a cab and angrily sent them home. Richard and Lotte were tipsy.

"Richard, make sure you get Lotte home safely," said Franziska.

"Mom, we're going to be _fine_," said Richard. "It's a cab. We're not driving."

Lotte giggled. "We'll be fine, Auntie Franziska!" She and Richard got into their cab. When the door closed, it drove away.

"I never knew that Richard and Lotte could hold their liquor," commented Franziska.

"They're both part German," answered Edgeworth. He frowned for a second before saying, "I have a feeling that something could happen between them tonight."

Franziska nodded. "People in our family just happen to get together over alcohol, huh?"

"You said it."

(-- --)

Richard and Lotte stumbled up the path walk to the Gavin house. They laughed quietly. The lamp posts flickered through the dark night.

"Congratulations on winning today, Richard," said Lotte.

He wrapped an arm around her waist. "Since I won, you owe me a kiss." She glanced at him. "Remember?"

She smirked. "I guess I do."

She wrapped an arm around his neck and leaned into him. The smell of alcohol in their breaths mingled, though the other didn't seem to mind. Their lips met, sending an electrifying feeling through them. Richard's hands moved from Lotte's waist to running them up and down her back. Tongues became entwined, and it felt like the world around them was going to burst into flames.

They broke apart for air.

"I thought this was only supposed to be a kiss, not a hook up," panted Lotte.

Richard grinned. "Too late." He leaned in to initiate another kiss.

It looked like the start of a beautiful relationship.

* * *

First chapter of a two part piece. Dedicated to everyone who loves Richard. (Which should be everyone because he's just that awesome.)

I wasn't going to write about the trial, but when I was going through my stuff, I came across this "case file" on an assignment I did in my Human Physiology class in high school. My class had to act like CSI agents to solve "The Murder of Lois McArthur." The characters in this trial are based off of the characters in that fictional case. I just changed the names and modified it to fit a trial.

Who else loved the puns of the names?! I did! I loved coming up with them!

Ah, yes. Devlin is the detective in charge of the case. I will write about Detective Devlin Gumshoe in the future so stay tuned for that.

The date of this trial is the same date that Miles Edgeworth made his court debut. I thought it would make another good parallel just like how Stella's debut was the same date as when Phoenix took his first trial.

German Translations

_Immer, Liebling._ = Always, darling.

_Sind Sie flirtet mit mir?_ = Are you flirting with me?

_Klar, warum nicht?_ = Sure, why not?

_Wenn ich gewinne dieser Studie, gibst du mir einen Kuß?_ = If I win this trial, will you give me a kiss?

French Translation

Peu importe, vous méritez un baiser. = Regardless, you deserve a kiss.

(All translations are done with Google translate. They are not 100% accurate.)

Ooh, now you know what Richard and Lotte were saying. By the way, did I ever mention that Richard is fluent in German? Uh, yeah. So Richard is fluent in German. No surprise. He learned it from his parents and he lived in Germany for his college years.

Next chapter: The cat is out of the bag. (Part 2)


	16. The Cat Is Out of the Bag, Part 2

(-- --)

Chapter 16

The Cat is Out of the Bag, Part 2

**(May 19, 2053, Monday)**

Richard knew that it was only supposed to be a small fling with Lotte. That kiss they shared wasn't supposed to mean anything after she went back to Columbia. But somehow, they prolonged it, defying the rules. Neither of them was willing to let it die. At times when Lotte was home, they shared a few moments together behind everyone's backs. It was a kiss here, briefly holding hands there, or an intimate moment when no one was around. When they were across the country from each other, they talked on the phone nearly everyday. They texted and emailed, but it was quite obvious that it wasn't enough.

When Richard opened up the door to his apartment to find Lotte outside, he knew in his gut that this wasn't going to be just a fling.

Lotte wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "Hi."

Richard grinned and kicked the door close. "Hi."

"I missed you."

"I bet you did." He bent down to kiss her. "So you're here for good?"

She smiled. "I'm here for good."

After that, it was nothing but heated kisses, clothes being shed, and the burning sensation of skin on skin under the cold sheets.

(-- --)

**(May 19, 2053, Tuesday)**

Richard's hand flew to the alarm clock beside his bed to turn it off. His eyes snapped open and shifted to see the form of his naked lover beside him. Her eyes were shut, her breathing slow and steady. She was unperturbed by the sudden roaring of Richard's alarm clock. Richard laid down, and wrapped an arm around Lotte's waist.

He had slept with women before. In his arms, women with slim bodies would fit perfectly. They would have soft hair and the most alluring scent. Many women had fulfilled those traits, but Lotte overshadowed all the women he had ever been with. There was something more that kept him hooked to her.

Last night, it wasn't the first time they had slept together, and it certainly wasn't their _first time_. But last night felt like the first time they ever had sex. It was amazing, but it felt different than when he had slept with other women. It wasn't pure lust, and it wasn't completely love, but it was enough to make Richard wanting more.

He kissed the crook of Lotte's neck. He ran a free hand down her shoulders to the curves of her body, reveling in the softness of her skin. She smelled like citrus. She shifted. He could tell she was slowly waking up. He continued to stroke her until she caught his wandering hand. She giggled.

"Morning," she said softly. She shifted around to face Richard.

"I like waking up next to you," he said, burying his face in the crook on her neck.

"Me, too. It's nice that I don't have to rush out of bed just so your parents won't find us."

"Or your parents."

Whatever time they spent together, they hid from their family and friends. Keeping their relationship a secret was thrilling and made everything a lot more interesting. Lotte was sure that the others had noticed a few changes in her and Richard. Her mother was always commenting that there was a bright glow to her cheeks. Diana noticed that Lotte looked prettier each time she came home. Edgeworth noted that his son made less witty remarks and was more focused on his work.

Lotte sat up in the bed, clutching the sheets to her chest. "I should go get dressed now."

"Why?" asked Richard. "I thought you weren't in any rush."

"Well, I have to go drop my stuff off at the house. Mom and Dad don't know I'm home yet."

"You didn't tell them?"

"They think I'm coming back today." Lotte smiled and leaned over Richard to kiss his lips. "I wanted to see you first though."

He ran his hands down her bare back. "Me before your family? I'm honored."

"Richard, why do we have to keep our relationship a secret?" asked Lotte. "It's not like our families hate each other."

"But it's fun."

"Yeah, when I was home on break. But I'm back for good. We can't keep sneaking around. Everyone will find out."

"Then let them."

Lotte smiled. "Well, Mr. Richard Edgeworth, I do believe you're contradicting yourself."

Richard stared up at Lotte's face. He tucked a lock of her brown hair behind her ear. It was like he was staring at the face of an angel. "Maybe you should move in with me," he suggested.

"Huh?"

"Move in with me. That way, we can keep waking up like this."

"Moving in together raises a red flag."

"I don't give a shit. If they find out about us, then they find out about us. I just want you."

Lotte's eyes softened. "Do you love me?"

His hold on her tightened. "Ever since I saw you at my first trial."

She bent down to kiss him again. "Good. Because I love you, too."

(-- --)

**(June 1, 2053, Sunday)**

Richard maneuvered through the towers of boxes. "I never knew you had so much crap," he remarked.

"It's not crap," said Lotte. "It's my stuff."

"You've been living in New York for the past six years. How have you been able to accumulate all this stuff in your dorm room?"

"This stuff isn't just from New York. It's from home. I practically cleaned out my room. Too bad I couldn't take my piano with me."

Richard shook his head. "We're storing all this in the other bedroom."

Lotte wrapped her arms around Richard's neck and kissed him. "That's what I was thinking."

Their lips locked as they swayed on the spot.

"Lotte!" called out Ema.

Lotte hastily pushed Richard away, a hand reaching up to cover her lips. They both looked at the doorway of the apartment to see Ema staring at them.

Ema raised an eyebrow. "Don't bother trying to play it off. I saw the whole thing," she said, walking over to them.

Richard cursed under his breath.

"I now understand why you wanted to move in with Richard. How long as this been going on?"

"Two years," answered Richard.

"Are you mad, Mom?" asked Lotte.

"Not mad," she said. "Just confused as to why you have to keep your relationship a secret. You're not Romeo and Juliet, for god's sake."

"We've always kept this a secret."

"Do whatever you want to do. I won't say a word," said Ema. "But it'll be your duty to tell everyone else when you're ready."

Lotte hugged her mother. "Oh, thank you, Mom!"

"Kids in love…I remember that…"

(-- --)

**(July 15, 2053, Tuesday)**

That night, Lotte looked up from her salad and asked her boyfriend, "So why did you pick me?"

"What do you mean?" asked Richard.

"Why did you pick me over Lisa? I mean, we look the same."

"Just because you look the same doesn't mean that you are the same." Richard took a drink. "And besides, I was one of the few people who could tell you two apart. You and your sister don't look that much alike."

"You could tell us apart?" asked Lotte, impressed.

"Yeah. Diana and Mondo, too."

"Well, I'm not surprised about Diana. Uncle Polly said that her perceive ability is so much more powerful that his and Trucy's."

Richard laughed. "That's because Diana uses it _all the time_."

"Okay, then how can Mondo tell us apart?"

"The same way I can. We notice the little things about you two that sets you apart."

"Like?"

"Both of you are ambidextrous, but your movements look more graceful. It's because you play the piano more than your sister."

Lotte nodded. "Lisa only plays the piano when she's forced to." She laughed and added, "Or when our parents are trying to figure out who is who when we do twin switches."

"Something else I noticed is that you walk like a model while Lisa walks more on her toes, making her look a little taller than you. Lisa's also blunter with her choice of words," said Richard. "And there's something different about your eyes."

"What about our eyes?" asked Lotte.

"They're both blue--"

"We prefer the term "azure.""

"Whatever. Yours have a softer look to them. Lisa's is more critical and analytical."

Lotte smiled. "I must say, I'm amazed that you can tell us apart."

Richard stared right at her. "You wanted to know why I fell for you and not your sister?"

She nodded slowly.

"Because I did. It was one of those revelations where you see someone in a new light."

Lotte's smile grew wider. "You're so cute."

"Are you worried about Lisa visiting?" asked Richard. "Is that why you asked me that?"

"Yeah. I was just wondering."

"Don't worry, baby. My eyes are only on you."

(-- --)

**(July 24, 2053, Thursday)**

"Ooh, would you look at this?" exclaimed Lisa as she entered her sister's apartment. "It's my big sister's apartment!"

Richard ran out of his room and opened up his arms. "Hey!"

"Ah! Richard!" Lisa excitedly ran into Richard's arms. He lifted her up from the ground and spun her around once before returning her feet to the floor.

"And how are you, Miss CEO?"

She lightly slapped his arm. "Oh, stop with that CEO nonsense."

"But it's true!" said Lotte. "You're one of the CEOs for Ethereal Cosmetics!"

"It's a small company."

"You're like the European philosophy. Your company's expanding across the UK," corrected Lotte. "And Forbes named you as one of the richest people in Europe."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "I'm not flaunting my success."

Richard poked Lisa in the side. She jumped and slapped his hand. "So how's Alec Thomas?" he asked slyly.

Lisa's eyes widened. "How the eff do know about him?"

He shrugged. "Mondo mentioned him. I thought it was worth investigating."

Lisa growled, "Ooh, Marshall, you're a dead man once I get home."

Lotte grinned. "Ooh! Who's this Alec Thomas?"

"Your sister's admirer," said Richard. "From what I hear, Lisa and Mr. Thomas have the same relationship that Auntie Ema and Uncle Klavier used to have." He grinned. "Mondo and I put down fifty bucks saying that you two will get married."

"Sounds juicy," said Lotte. "Can I get in on that bet?"

"Why thank you for basking in the frustration that guy causes me," said Lisa.

"You love him," said Richard. "Besides, didn't you hook up with him?"

"That was one time! And I was drunk!" she reasoned angrily. "Reason goes out the window when I drink!"

"You love him!"

Lisa grabbed her sister by the arm and dragged her towards the hallway that led to the two bedrooms. She flipped off Richard and yelled, "Screw you, Richard! I don't love him!"

He laughed. "Give it some time, Lisa! Time changes people's hearts, y'know!"

Lotte flushed slightly.

"So where am I staying?" Lisa asked her sister.

Lotte pointed to the bedroom across the hall from Richard's. "In my room."

It wasn't completely true. Lotte and Richard slept in the same bed. The spare room was used for storage because they didn't get that many guests. The closet was for Lotte's clothes and other boxes.

Lisa flicked on the light to see a simple room with a bed, a desk with a few things on it, a small TV, and a few boxes lying around. She raised an eyebrow. "It's rather dumpy," she commented.

"Thanks," Lotte said sarcastically. "I haven't had time to fix it up. I've been busy working."

Lisa wandered around the room before stopping by the desk. She stared at it for a moment. "So how is work?"

"It's good. More fun than I thought it would be."

Lisa ran a finger along the desk. "Is there something going on between you and Richard?" she asked suddenly.

Lotte flinched slightly. "No," she lied.

Lisa faced her sister and grinned. "Don't lie, Lotte. I can tell when you lie."

"I'm not lying, Lisa."

"If this is your room, then how come it's not decorated to your tastes? You've been here for about a month. And also, how come there is a thick layer of dust on the desk? You like keeping your belongings neat."

"I don't use the desk that often," she lied.

"But your stuff is on it. And they have a very thin layer of dust compared to the desk," reasoned Lisa. "I can tell you've just recently put this stuff on here."

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm saying that you haven't been sleeping in this room since you moved in. You're sleeping in Richard's room, aren't you?"

Lotte stared at her sister's smug face for a moment. "How do you do that?"

Lisa grinned. "Deductive reasoning."

Lotte rolled her eyes and went out into the living room. "She figured it out!" she announced to Richard.

"She hasn't been here for an hour yet!"

Lisa followed her sister into the living room. "Doesn't matter. You knew I would figure it out sooner or later." She poked her sister in the arm. "Now, you can go sleep in his room. Although, if you're going to do _something_, can you please not make too much noise?"

"Lisa!" yelled Lotte.

"There's nothing wrong with a healthy sex life." Lisa shrugged. "Besides, sex is good for your complexion."

"So then, do you sleep with Alec Thomas for good skin?" asked Richard.

Lisa threw her purse at him.

(-- --)

**(July 25, 2053, Friday)**

Lotte stumbled out the bedroom she and Richard shared. She made her way to the kitchen for a glass of water when she saw the light on in the living room. Lisa was sitting on the couch, staring at the blank TV screen.

Lotte quickly checked the clock. It was three in the morning. "It's early," she said quietly.

Lisa looked up. "I couldn't sleep. I'm still on Oxford time. It's morning over there."

Lotte sat down on the couch next to her sister.

"Lotte, how's this relationship with Richard?"

She smiled. "It's a grand passion."

"Then you're happy?"

"Wonderfully."

"Then that's all that matters."

They sat quietly for a few moments.

"Answer seriously, Lisa. What's your relationship like with Alec Thomas?" asked Lotte.

"Irritating." She scoffed. "But I owe him big time. He was the one who gave me and my friend the money to start Ethereal Cosmetics."

"Do you like him?"

"Not at all. He's too much of a playboy. He's a cheater waiting to happen."

"Is he cute at least?"

"Stella said it best. He's hot, but he's a douche."

"With your personalities, it sounds like you have a lot of fun together."

"He thinks it's fun. I don't."

Lotte smiled knowingly. Lisa could always tell when she was lying, but Lotte could tell if her sister was, too. It wasn't a simple love-hate relationship. Lotte could tell that her sister was having fun with Alec. Love could bloom in a garden of hatred at any time. It was already happening, but if anything serious would happen, Lisa would have to let down her guard or risk Alec Thomas tearing it down with his bare hands.

"Lisa, are you happy?"

"Apart from Alec, I really am. Really…"

The two sisters smiled and held hands. They sat in the silence of the apartment.

And in that moment, they were happy.

(-- --)

**(December 24, 2054, Thursday)**

"Okay, are you ready?" asked Richard.

"I hope this is a good Christmas present," said Lotte.

"You'll love it. Trust me." He guided her into the living room, his hands covering Lotte's eyes. Finally, he removed his hands and said, "Merry Christmas, Lotte."

Lotte's mouth fell open when she saw the polished, ebony grand piano sitting in the living room. She gasped. "Is this my piano?"

"Uh huh."

"But you said that we had no place for this!"

Richard shrugged. "We'll make room."

Lotte threw her arms around his neck before running to sit down on the piano bench. She ran a finger across the cover and the ivory keys. She pressed down on a key, its sound resonating throughout the room. It felt as though it came to life, remembering the touch of its owner.

Richard sat down next to her. "How long has it been since we last sat down on a piano bench together?"

"A long time." Lotte smiled. "The last time was when you stole my first kiss."

Richard laughed.

"I remember that that was the weirdest kiss ever."

"What about now?"

Her hands brushed against his cheeks before kissing him softly on the lips. A wave of euphoria washed over her. She felt like she was floating on Cloud Nine, and she was never going to come down. When she pulled away, she sighed and smiled.

"Pure bliss," she answered.

Richard nudged her. "Come on. Why don't you try out your piano? Play me a song."

"Which one?"

"Debussy, Clair de Lune."

Lotte nodded. She didn't bother to get out the sheet music. Her father had taught her to play by the rules of music. Once mastering that, it was best to forget the rules and play from the heart. Over the years, she had learned that the piano was ambiguous. It was up to the pianist to give life to the songs with feeling and emotion.

Lotte stopped played when she hit an off key note. She frowned and hit the key again. Its pitch sounded strangled, as if the piano was not tuned. She got up from the bench to take a peek inside. It seemed like the steel strings were perfectly tuned until she spotted a small, blue box wedged between the frame and the strings. She reached over to pry it out. She stared at it for a moment before slowly opening it up. It was what she expected: a white gold diamond ring, glittering from every angle.

She stood there, staring at the ring. Richard approached her from behind and pulled the ring out of the box. He slipped it onto her left hand's ring finger. She glanced up at him. He was waiting for her response. She stood up on her tiptoes to press her lips against his, her answer imbued in the kiss.

(-- --)

**(December 25, 2054, Friday)**

Under the white tablecloth, two hands tangled together for the briefest of moments. They reluctantly pulled apart and traveled back to the silverware on their plates.

It was Christmas morning. Everyone was gathered together at the Gavin household with piles and piles of presents. Wrapping paper and ribbons were littered around the living room.

There was never a dull moment at breakfast. Anthony was trying to pour as much syrup as possible on his pancakes while trying to dodge Franziska's whip. Zak was proudly displaying the new alloy bracelet his grandmother gave him while Trucy and Aidan were trying to get him to eat something. Henry was daring Nick to eat different combinations of food. Nick accepted and was about to eat a mixture of sunny side up eggs, maple syrup, and whipped cream. Lisa was explaining her company's cosmetics to Kyra and Luna. Devlin and Mondo were talking about autopsy reports while Edgeworth tried to dissuade them from making everyone lose their appetites. Mia and Lily were drinking hot chocolate while trying to see who could get the best cream mustache. Diana was running around the room, snapping photos. Maya was stealing untouched food from everyone's plates. Gumshoe was busy trying to fix the necklace he just gave Maggey. Stella and Phoenix clinked their bottles of grape juice together. Apollo and Klavier were having a debate about a recent case. Ema and Lana were going around the room, trying to pick up the trash while Vera was sorting out the presents. Pearl and Wocky were acting lovey-dovey. Jake was cleaning off the sausages.

Richard tapped his spoon on his glass and stood up. "Okay, I have something I want to say."

Everyone quieted down and all eyes turned to him. Lotte stared down into her lap, her fingers twirling the ring on her hand.

"Lotte and I are engaged," announced Richard.

It was silent for a moment before everyone erupted.

"What?" yelled Klavier.

Diana, Stella, and Phoenix started laughing. Shock passed by others. Lotte held up her left hand, showing the engagement ring to everyone. Lisa grabbed her hand before to look at the ring before throwing her arms around her sister.

"What the hell? I didn't know you two were in a relationship," said Klavier. "Ema, did you know about this?"

Ema stared at her husband and smiled. "I might have."

"We were supposed to tell everyone," said Lotte.

"So you waited until you were engaged to do so?"

"Oh, Daddy, don't start," said Lisa. "They're getting married. It's not like they eloped."

"So when you moved in with Richard--"

"Yeah. We were already dating," answered Richard.

"Franziska and I suspected," said Edgeworth.

"Since when?" asked Richard.

"Since we went out to celebrate your victory at your first trial," answered Franziska. "We didn't know for sure, but it looks like we were right."

"We give our blessing, by the way."

"I knew it!" said Stella, her hand shooting up in the air.

"How?" asked Lotte.

"Oh, come on," said Stella. "It was hard to miss the fireworks when you visited Richard at his first trial."

"I also knew," added Diana.

"That's not a surprise," said Richard. "It's you, Diana."

She smiled. "I had my suspicions. I noticed the way you two glanced and smiled at each other. You also would hold hands underneath the table cloth when seated next to each other."

Lotte's eyes widened. "You noticed the subtle gestures more?"

Diana smiled. "You _know_ I would. Besides, those subtle gestures carry a lot more intimacy than you think."

Phoenix snapped his fingers and pointed at himself. "I knew about Richard and Lotte's relationship."

"And how did you know?" asked Maya.

"I'm awesome."

Maya rolled her eyes and didn't say anything else.

"Who else knew about this?" asked Klavier.

"I did," said Lisa.

"I figured. You girls tell each other everything."

Lisa shook her head. "Lotte never told me about it. I figured it out on my own."

"I walked in on them kissing," said Ema.

"Why am I the last to know?" demanded Klavier.

"Daddy, it doesn't matter who knew before now," said Lotte. "The point is, everyone knows that Richard and I are engaged now."

"Lotte, is this what you really want?"

"Daddy, I love him."

She smiled. Klavier recognized the sparkles in her eyes. It was of that of a woman in love. He had seen the same look in Ema's eyes as well as the other women.

Klavier sighed. "I can't stop your happiness."

Richard grinned. "Don't worry. I promise to take care of her." He put an arm around Lotte. "After all, we've been living together for the past year."

"I'm a little worried about the grandkids," said Edgeworth with a frown.

Franziska groaned. "I don't think the world is ready for little Richards running around."

Lana and Jake exchanged glances. The whole situation sounded very familiar to them. "Lotte, are you pregnant?" asked Lana.

The woman laughed. "No, definitely not. Yet, at least."

Ema let out a quiet cough. "Taking a page out of Phoenix's book," she said, "I wouldn't mind some grandkids right now."

Phoenix grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

Klavier shook his head. "Very worried…"

(-- --)

"What do you make of all of this?" asked Klavier later that night.

"About what?" asked Ema. She picked up her clothes and disappeared into the bathroom to throw them in the hamper.

"Lotte and Richard's engagement."

Ema came out of the bathroom, smiling. "I'm happy for them."

"Really?"

"Of course! Any sensible parent would be happy to have their child engaged."

"I still can't wrap my head around it." Klavier pulled away the sheets of the bed before climbing in. "I mean, they grew up together. You'd think their feelings would be platonic instead."

"But they aren't," said Ema. "They're in love." She pulled back the covers on her side of the bed and cuddled up next to her husband.

"I wonder if Richard has always thought of Lotte as the girl next door."

Ema sighed. "I think you're overreacting a little."

Klavier mumbled a curse in German. "You know, we were Lotte's age when we got engaged."

"And married. But they're not like us. They're not rushing into marriage. Richard told me that they dated for two years before moving in together. So if anything, they're like Lana and Jake."

"Wonder if Lotte was lying when she said she wasn't pregnant."

"I'll find out."

"Ah," laughed Klavier. "Mothers have that radar that can detect if anything is wrong with their kids. Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!"

Ema lightly slapped his arm. "_You_ just have to take notice of details a little more. Then maybe you won't be one of the last to know. Maybe you're just losing your edge Prosecutor Gavin."

He frowned. "That's not funny."

She pressed a kiss to Klavier's cheek. "Don't be sore."

"I am _not_ losing my edge," he muttered.

"You're like a child." Ema laughed. "Anyway, I think Lotte and Richard getting married will be a good thing."

"She could whip him into shape," said Klavier.

"A daughter engaged…I wish them a lifetime of happiness."

* * *

The second part of this two part piece. Dedicated to thearistocrat, who gave me inspiration for this chapter (and Richard and Lotte's relationship) after reviewing chapter 8. As I've said before, there was supposed to be a subplot romance between Richard and Lotte, but it was completely one-sided, but it was cut from "The Parent Trap." I thought that chapter 8 would make up for that, but no. THIS definitely makes up for it.

Other inspirations were the songs "Rooftops and Invitations" by Dashboard Confessional and "I Miss You" by Incubus.

Lisa, Alec Thomas, and Ethereal Cosmetics will be a future chapter. (I have a lot of future chapters!)

philosophy is actually a cosmetics brand that specializes with skin care, makeup, and beauty. They use science to make better products. I love philosophy. They have some great stuff, but too bad it's really expensive!

I've read before that sex can actually lead to better complexion. Also, there really is nothing wrong with a healthy sex life.

"Clair de Lune" is French for "moonlight" and the song is the third movement from Debussy's _Suite bergamasque_.

As a lasting note, I would like to thank everyone for your reviews so far! I really love that everyone enjoys these slice of life chapters. (Also, don't apologize for long reviews. I love them! And don't apologize for rambling because I do that, too!)

Next chapter: He was very similar to his cousin.


	17. Similarity

(-- --)

Chapter 17

Similarity

**(August 20, 2053, Wednesday)**

The assignment on the board read: Write about your family.

That is exactly what Zak Nadia did.

_My family is relly cool._

_My mommy is a magision. She gave me a rabbit by pulling it out of her hat. My daddy is a jornalist. I don't know what that is but he rites a lot._

_I have a grandfather named Feenix Right. He plays the piano, but he isn't relly good at it. He runs a ajency. Mommy says he has a complex about ladders. I have a grandmother named Thalassa Gramare. She's relly old, but very butiful._

_My uncle is Apolo Justice. He yells a lot but he's not mean. He's a law-yer. My auntie is Vera Justice. She's relly nice and paints a lot. My cousin is Dieana. She's older then me by fiveteen years. She loves takeing pictures and she travels around the world. She has a cool bracelet that she wears all the time._

_I have a lot of aunties and uncles. There is Uncle Gummy who is a detectiv and his wife is my Auntie Maggie. There son is Devlin and he's also a detectiv. His sister is Kyra who is an actress. _

_Then there is my Auntie Lana and Uncle Jake. Uncle Jake owns a big ranch with lots of cows! Auntie Lana works in the courthose. They have three kids. Mondo is a doktor in Ingland. Stella is a atornee in my granddaddy's ajency. Luna is very pretty and walks a lot._

_Uncle Miles and Auntie Franziska scare me a little, but I like them. They have a cute dog named Peso. I think they don't like their son Richard because they yell at him a lot. He is also a atornee. I like Richard. He's funny._

_Auntie Ema is Auntie Lana's seester. Auntie Ema is married to Uncle Klavier. Auntie Ema is very grumpy and she throws things a lot. She's a detectiv. Uncle Klavier is a proseqtor. He and Uncle Apolo dbate a lot, whatever that means. They have twin dautors named Lott and Leesa. Lott plays a lot of instrooments for Global Studios. Leesa runs a companee in Ingland._

_Auntie Maya is a good freind of teh family. She is a Masturh of a villige. I don't get what she does though_

_Auntie Pearl is Auntie Maya's cousin. She's married to Uncle Wocky. He runs a muffin bisniss. I don't no what Auntie Pearl does. They have five kids. Henry, Anthony, and Nick are a couple of years older then me. There sisters Mia and Lily are the same age as me, but their only a couple of months older than me. Their in the same grade as me! They live in Coorain village.  
_

_I love my family!_

(-- --)

"Are you proud of me?" asked Zak.

Trucy stared at what her son wrote about their family. She smiled and said, "Yes, I am." She stifled a giggle. "But honey, we have to work on your spelling."

Zak beamed. "Okay!"

(-- --)

**(August 21, 2053, Thursday)**

Trucy approached Phoenix's desk. "Hey Dad," she said.

Phoenix looked up. "What is it, Trucy?"

Trucy handed him Zak's paper. She smiled. "Read this."

He took the paper and started reading. A frown creased along his forehead, but his lips twisted into an amused smile. "His spelling sucks. But it's cute. Reminds me of Pearls. Her spelling used to suck, too."

Trucy giggled. "I love that boy."

"I like the part where it says that Luna walks a lot. It's a nice job description for a model. Zak shows enterprise."

"I like the part where it says that Ema is always grumpy and throws a lot of things."

"It's true for the most part." Phoenix stared at the paper again, reading its content over. "Is it me, or does Zak sound a lot like Diana?"

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe it's just me, but the way Zak writes about us reminds me a lot of Diana."

Trucy took the paper back from Phoenix and read it over again. "Yeah, I see what you mean. But Zak hasn't seen Diana for two years."

"_Everyone _hasn't seen Diana for two years," corrected Phoenix.

Diana was bitten with a powerful case of wanderlust after graduating from high school. Instead of going to an art college like expected, she packed up a couple of suitcases and whatever money she had saved up to go travel the world. She left a simple note saying, "I wanna see the world. Dunno when I'll be back. Don't worry about me." She sent home a postcard from every country she went to. On special occasions, she would send birthday cards and small souvenirs from the places she visited. She frequently wrote that she was fine, but everyone was still worried.

"Is it possible that the three years they spent together impacted Zak so much?"

"Possibly. Or maybe they have the same personality. They are cousins."

Trucy frowned. "If that is the case, I hope Zak doesn't run off like Diana did when he gets older. I don't know how Vera and Polly can cope."

"Have some faith," said Phoenix. He pulled off his beanie to run a hand through his hair. "Diana's a strong girl. She can take care of herself."

"She can't speak any other language other than English. She failed French even with the twins and Ema tutoring her."

Phoenix laughed. "That was funny."

"I didn't find it funny when I saw an F on her report card," said Apollo, entering Phoenix's office with Vera. "What's going on?"

Phoenix handed him Zak's paper. "Read this and tell me if you think that Zak sounds like Diana."

Vera and Apollo huddled together to read the assignment. Apollo scrunched his nose as his eyes traveled down the paper. A smile appeared on Vera's face.

"Oh, he's so cute!" exclaimed Vera.

Trucy beamed. "Isn't he?"

"He spelled my name wrong," Apollo said simply.

"He spelled a lot of names wrong," corrected Phoenix.

"But you're right. He does sound similar to Diana."

Phoenix grinned. "I can see a great future with Zak."

Apollo shot him a glare. "Please don't teach him weird things like you did with my daughter."

He looked back with a look of mock innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Thanks to you, Diana developed a habit of sticky fingers and reprimands me for being too narrow-minded."

"About what?" asked Trucy.

"About ladders," answered Vera. She smiled as Trucy snorted.

"I will admit to teaching her the difference between the different types of ladders, (_"Who teaches their grandkid about the different kinds of ladders?"_) but I wasn't the one who encouraged sticky fingers."

"Don't look at me," Trucy added hastily when Apollo looked at her.

Apollo looked into the other room where Stella and Richard were looking over case files spread out on the coffee table. "Stella?" he yelled.

With Apollo's back turned, Phoenix grinned and winked at his daughter. Trucy covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. "I'll teach your son, too," he mouthed.

"Yo! What's up?" Stella yelled back.

"Did teach Diana to steal?"

Stella laughed. "No. We've been through this before."

"Richard?"

"I've never stolen anything."

"Liar," said Stella.

Richard grinned. "Yeah, you're right. But I never taught Diana."

Apollo turned back to Phoenix. "It had to have been you."

"Definitely wasn't me," said Phoenix.

Vera cleared her throat. "Speaking of my daughter," she held up a postcard, "she sent another postcard."

"Ooh! Where from?" asked Trucy.

"Australia."

"What does she write this time?" asked Phoenix.

"_Dear Mom and Dad, _

_I'm in Australia now. It's beautiful in Sydney and Brisbane. The picture of the postcard doesn't do it justice. (Haha!) Hope everything is going well where you are. I'm doing great. Much love, Diana."_

"Always so vague," murmured Apollo.

Vera flipped the postcard over as if she was trying to see if anything else would magically appear. "I wish she would write more. I would be more than content if it was more than a couple of lines."

Phoenix checked his watch. "Trucy, you better go. Zak is getting out of school soon."

Trucy checked her own watch. "Oh!" She grabbed her hat and ran out of the door.

(-- --)

**(February 27, 2054, Friday)**

Trucy pushed open Zak's bedroom door, only to be greeted with a mess. "This boy…" she murmured. She began gathering up the clothes strewn on the floor. She picked up toys and threw them back into her son's toy box. She fixed up the sheets on the bed. She later began organizing his desk, setting things right around the Lego house he had made.

She bent down to the same level as the house, peering into the little windows. It certainly looked marvelous and well done. It looked a lot like their house.

_Maybe he'll go into architecture_, thought Trucy.

She realized that the roof could be taken off. She lifted the roof of the Lego house and noticed something inside the house's attic. Trucy set the roof aside. Inside was a disposable camera and an envelope addressed to Zak, but the address was Thalassa's. She hesitated for a moment before pulling the letter out of the envelope. She instantly recognized Diana's neat handwriting. Even with letters, she managed to write as if it were a piece of art.

_Dear Zak,_

_Happy Birthday! I wanted to thank you for the wonderful pictures you and Grandma sent me. It seems like you have a knack for photography as well. So that's why I wanted to give you your very first camera. I know it's a classic Polaroid camera, but it's good for a beginner like you. I also hope you like the sketchbook I gave you. Grandma tells me that you've been making Lego houses. I thought that you might want to draw some houses. I can see the potential in you, kid. _

_I know that you were wondering what I've been doing for the past several years, so I'll tell you. After all, I can't tell you a lie because I know that you'll be able to perceive my lies, even on paper._

_I've been traveling the world. I had first considered traveling only Europe, but I realized that I want to see everything. I wanted to picture and paint the world the way I saw it. I know I could do it if I did research, but reading all of those books made me sleepy. I wanted to see the world, everything, with my own eyes. I wanted to see everything beautiful and ugly. I captured it all with my camera. When I get home, I'm going to show everyone and explain why I left without saying much. I know everyone is really worried, but I'm fine. Really._

_I've been to so many places. I've seen so many things. I've been all over Europe, and people say that they love the UK or France the best, but I like Estonia best. You probably don't know where that is, Zak, but I'll point it out to you on a map. Maybe I'll take you there someday. Or at least show you the pictures I took there! But anyway, I've been all over Europe, Asia (it took me a whole year for that!), and Australia. I'm planning on going to Africa later, but I'm sure that is going to be one of the hardest journeys. But I'm extremely determined. Right now, I'm back in the States. I've made it my goal to visit all fifty states. I'll leave California for last though.  
_

_I thought that I would get done with traveling really soon, but I was wrong. There is so much to see and so much to do that I stay in countries for a while, trying to learn all that I can. I've filled up notebooks and sketchbooks for each country. I like traveling light though so I've sent all of it to Grandma for safekeeping. With everything I've sent her, she probably has a library of Australia, Europe, and Asia. If you want to see everything I've done, go ask her._

_I've made so many friends wherever I've gone. Language can be a barrier but I've found ways to overcome them. It's hard to explain…but people manage to find mutual ground. A lot of people have helped me in learning more. I know with all of the stories on the news that more than half the world is bad, but that's not true. There are people in this world that are good. Zak, I know that you're going to be six, and you probably don't understand anything that I wrote, but you will in time. I'll teach you about the world when I get back home._

_Zak, please don't say anything about this letter to anyone. I know Grandma will keep it a secret, but please don't say a word. I want to surprise everyone when I come home for Christmas. If you breathe a word of this letter, I can promise you that I will get back at you somehow. (And don't make me do it. I love you, kid.) Remember, I'll be back home for Christmas. Don't tell. Give my love to your parents and my mom and dad and everyone else. I miss them loads. _

_Happy Birthday._

_Much love, Diana_

Trucy folded the letter and slid it back into the envelope. She tucked it into the Lego attic before placing the roof on top. She found the sketchbook Diana was talking about hidden among a stack of Lego pieces. Zak had only used the first several pages. There was a picture of his family done in watercolors, albeit it was messy. There was another watercolor picture of two people. There were names underneath that read "Diana and me." The next couple of pages were houses done in marker. They were neater than the watercolors, and it seemed like drawing was natural for him.

They really were similar. They were into photography and drawing. They could perceive body language easily, and they prided family above all else. Diana had a huge impact on Zak, even when she was miles away.

Trucy pushed Diana's letter out of her head. She was going to forget that she even read it. She was going to be surprised when Diana came home for the holidays. She wanted to hear about Diana's travels from her own mouth.

She picked up Zak's dirty clothes and left the room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Ooh, Zak. I love that kid. I just found him to be so endearing when I was writing the part about his assignment. It just makes him super cute.

The chapter was originally supposed to end with Zak showing his mom the paper, but I decided to take it a step further. That's when I noticed that Zak is a lot like Diana, although I was worried that this chapter might focus more on Diana rather than the comparison between the two cousins.

I also wrote this chapter as a kind of update on the lives of the characters. So much time has passed and Diana is now in her 20s and off on her own when she was just fifteen several chapters back. So, I wanted to do a shameless update this way.

Next chapter: Like mother, like daughter.


	18. Like Mother, Like Daughter

(- -)

Chapter 18

Like Mother, Like Daughter

**(October 14, 2047, Monday)**

It was the first day of the Michaelmas term at the University of Oxford.

Lisa was super excited. She was one of the first students to arrive in her first class. She thumbed through her textbook excitedly. As the time passed, students began to arrive, filling up the seats. An attractive guy and his equally attractive friends sat themselves behind her.

The guy whistled. "Looks like we have an exotic one this year."

Lisa whirled around, her long hair flipping over her shoulder. Her face was strong and imposing. It was the same face that often intimidated her classmates in high school. "_Excuse me?_"

"No accent," said the guy. "Are you from America?" He had short black hair and green eyes. He was tall and lanky, but she could see his muscles under his shirt.

"I am."

"Is that so?"

Lisa narrowed her eyes as him. "If you think I'm easy, you can go shove off."

Her attitude only managed to pique his interest.

"Feisty, aren't you?"

She rolled her eyes and turned around.

"So what are you, anyway?"

"I'm a _Homo sapiens_, isn't that obvious?"

Lisa blamed Richard. Any sass that came out of her mouth had to have been from his influence.

"Witty, too," said the guy. "I've decided I fancy you." He stuck out his hand. "I'm Alec Thomas."

She felt a rush of her mother's blood as she stared at his hand skeptically. Hesitantly, she shook his hand. "Lisa Gavin."

"So Miss Lisa, what are you really?"

"Half Scottish and half German."

Alec grinned. "I like that."

Lisa frowned and turned back around.

Alec leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I'll see you in my dreams tonight."

She shivered and kept her eyes trained in front of her. She was not going to let herself be persuaded by the flirtatious words of some guy.

_Mom, now I know how you felt about Dad before._

(- -)

When Lisa came home from school, she found her cousins already home. In Stella's hand was a bottle of what Lisa thought was grape juice. Mondo was sitting on the floor, against the sofa, watching the news. Stella tumbled onto the couch, bottle in hand. "Hi Lisa! How was your first day of school?" she asked. "I sound like a mom!" She giggled.

"Hey, will you stop drinking on my bed?" asked Mondo.

"Pfft! Shut up, Mondo! It's only your bed at night. It's a couch during the day."

Stella, Mondo, and Lisa lived together in a small flat. There were only two bedrooms so Mondo gave up his room for Lisa and hit the extendable couch every night. Lisa dropped her backpack on the floor and sat down on the couch next to Stella.

"It's three in the afternoon. What are you doing, drinking wine?"

"It's not wine!" objected Stella. "It's grape juice!"

"It's wine, retard."

"First day of school was okay," cut in Lisa. "I felt like my mom."

"What do you mean?" asked Mondo.

"I don't think I've ever felt so cynical towards someone else before."

Stella grinned. "Who is he?"

Her cousin shrugged. "Some guy named Alec Thomas."

"Ooooh! I know him! Actually I know his older brother, Adam," said Stella. "He's hot, but he's a douche."

"Bet his brother's the same way then," said Lisa. She picked up the remote and began flipping through the channels on the TV.

"Probably. Alec Thomas is on the football team. Pretty good. Him and his brother are popular with the girls," explained Stella. "But like I said, they're a pair of douches."

"Ooh, yay," Lisa snapped sarcastically. "He's taken an interest in me."

"Fifty bucks says that you marry him," said Mondo.

Lisa poked him in the back with her foot. "Shut up."

"His family is filthy rich," added Stella.

"Why should that matter?"

"Nothing. I was just…throwing it out there."

"If I could, I'd throw it back in your face," snapped Lisa.

Mondo whistled. "God, you just keep sounding more and more like your mom."

Stella snatched the remote out of her cousin's hand. "Oh! Go back to that channel!"

(- -)

**(October 16, 2047, Wednesday)**

For the first time in her life, Lisa was dreading school. Well, only her first class. Wanting to dodge Alec, she arrived to class a minute before it was to start. Her plan managed to backfire on her. Alec was standing outside of the classroom, waiting for her.

"Hey Lisa," he greeted.

"Hello," she said with cool civility. She swung the door open and quickly scanned the room for an empty seat.

"Your real name is Elizabeth is it not?" he asked.

"It is."

"Then can I call you Effy?"

Her head snapped at him. "After Effy Stonem? Didn't I already tell you that I'm not easy?"

Alec grinned. "So you've seen _Skins_."

"Mm. I had the most unfortunate disaster of finding a marathon of it on TV, which my cousin forced me to watch."

"So can I call you Effy?"

"No." She found an empty seat surrounded by people and quickly plopped herself in it. He shot her a disappointed look before finding an empty seat that was far away from her.

She felt like she had won the battle, but there was a whole war to go through.

(- -)

**(November 15, 2047, Friday)**

"I love varsity matches!" said Stella, quickly descending the steps of the stadium. "And front row seats! How did you get these, Mondo?"

Her brother shrugged. "Called in a favor from a friend."

"Whoever your friend is, I'm eternally grateful."

"It's a really good view," commented Lisa, looking out onto the field where both Oxford and Cambridge teams were warming up.

"All right, I have some stuff to take care of before the game. I'll be back soon," said Mondo. He quickly moved down the row to a group of guys.

"Stella!" called a girl. "Over here!"

Stella turned around to see a few of her friends a couple of rows up. "Hi girls!" She went up to meet with them.

Lisa set her purse down on her chair and was about to get comfortable when she noticed someone jogging across the field towards where she was. When that someone was in clear view, she realized that it was Alec. She groaned inwardly. Since she met him, he had been pestering her with questions. Most of them were invitations to dinner and the other half were questions about herself. At other times, he was adamantly flirting with other girls when she nearby. She suspected that he was trying to make her jealous, but it wasn't going to work. She could see through all of his tactics. After all, she had heard so many stories about how her father was once the same way.

"Hey Lisa," Alec greeted pleasantly.

She stood up as he met her eye to eye. She never noticed before that he was really tall. "Hello." She glanced at the green field before looking back at him. His eyes were as green as the field. "I didn't know you played soccer."

Alec grinned and cocked an eyebrow in amusement.

"I mean, my cousin told me that you played football, not-oh." Lisa quickly realized her mistake and clamped a hand over her mouth. She chuckled weakly, abashed.

Alec laughed. "It's quite all right. You're not used to our vocabulary yet." Lisa's eyes swept across the stadium and the field. Alec watched her face for a couple of moments before saying, "Is this your first football game?"

"It is." Lisa noticed a bunch of blonde girls wearing sports jerseys with white and Oxford blue, knee high socks, and black heels walking into the west side of the stadium and taking their seats in the front row. "Who are they?" She inclined her head towards the group.

"Girlfriends of some of our team members," he answered. "You know, you should be over there with them."

"What for?"

He winked at her. "To cheer me on, of course."

Lisa narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "You want me to be a WAG?"

"Why not?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I meet the qualifications to be a WAG," Lisa said coolly. "Yes, I'm tan, but this is natural. I don't need to go to a tanning salon or use that spray-on crap. I'm not blonde, and I have no intention to dye my hair. And I am most definitely _not _stupid. So, nope! Sorry! I'm not going to be a WAG!" She looked across the field to a group of blonde girls who were wearing skimpy clothing in the chilly November weather. "Oh! Why don't you ask one of those blonde bimbos over there to be your girlfriend?"

Alec glanced at the girls Lisa was referring to before turning back to her. He shrugged. "Been there, done that. I'm bored of those kinds of girls."

"So you're going after brunettes now?"

He smiled at her. "Only the ones that manage to strike my fancy. You're rather feisty, and I like that."

"Go away," she snapped.

He stood his ground and said, "We're having a party tonight in Summertown. It'll be a victory party if we win. If we don't win, it'll be just an excuse to get pissed and spark up a spliff. You should come and bring some friends." Alec winked at her. "I definitely want to see you there."

"Don't hold your breath."

He grinned at her, unfazed by her cold attitude. He waved at her before jogging back to his team.

Lisa turned around to see Stella sitting in her seat. With the way she was smiling so complacently, it was obvious that she had been watching a lot of the exchange. Lisa frowned and began heading up the stairs, mumbling something about the bathroom.

As soon as she was gone, Mondo was back. He took a seat next to his sister.

"Where were you?" asked Stella.

"Just made a bet. Five thousand pounds on Oxford." Mondo grinned. Stella's eyes widened. She smacked her brother across the head. "Ow!"

"You stupid bastard!" she screamed. "Why the hell are you gambling again? We don't have five thousand pounds! What if Oxford loses?"

"That's why it's called gambling!" he argued, holding the side of his head.

Stella punched him in the arm as hard as he could. "I'm going to kill you!"

"Just relax, Stella! I'm using the money I won from some online poker."

"Oh, that makes me feel so much better," she replied sarcastically. "You're still gambling, Mondo."

"Look, I'm confident I'm going to win, okay?"

"Why? Are they rigging the game in favor of Oxford?"

"No." Mondo grinned. He glanced up to see Lisa returning. "Lisa's the reason why."

"I don't get it."

"Alec Thomas."

Stella shook her head, running her hands through her hair in agony. "I swear to God, I hope Alec's desire to impress Lisa will win us the game."

"Oh, come on. Guys will go far to impress a girl they like. Lisa just needs to give him some encouragement."

Stella stared at her brother for a second before letting out a stream of curses. "Shit, that's never gonna happen. I'm going to kill you, Mondo."

(- -)

"_Why_ are we here?" asked Lisa. She looked up at the house where music was blaring out of. From the window, she could see people dancing, drinking, and smoking. "This is far from where we live. What about gas?"

Stella grinned. "It's rude to turn down an invitation, Lisa. And don't worry about gas. Mondo's paying with the ten thousand pounds he won today." She turned to her brother. "_Isn't that right, Mondo?_" she asked through gritted teeth.

He glared at her. "Yeah."

"And besides," added Stella, "This is so much better than going to a bar. The alcohol is free here."

"I think someone needs Alcoholics Anonymous," said Mondo.

"I think someone needs Gamblers Anonymous," she shot back.

Lisa rolled her eyes and mumbled a couple of curses in French and German. She stormed into the house, immediately heading for the kitchen. As she expected, there were piles of bottles, all of which were filled with alcohol. She grabbed a bottle of vodka, pulled off the cap, and drank from the bottle. It left behind a burning sensation in her throat but she didn't care.

"Hey! You came!" yelled Alec over the music.

Lisa took a glance at him before taking another long drink. "I feel a little bit better now," she replied, eyeing the bottle.

"Good."

"We should have a drinking battle." She grinned. "I would so beat you. It's the German blood."

Alec grinned. "You're on. And for the record, I'm half Irish."

She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Well then, let's see who can hold their liquor. German vs. the Irish!" She grabbed a bottle of tequila and two shot glasses, taking them into the dining room. She sat down at the table and filled both glasses. They picked up their glasses and clinked them together.

"Cheers," said Alec.

"Cheers."

They drowned the contents with one gulp.

(- -)

**(November 18, 2047, Monday)**

"Hey," greeted Alec. He grinned.

"Mm." Lisa quickly passed him and walked across the classroom to sit at an unoccupied desk. To her displeasure, Alec got up and followed her. He leaned over, his face moving closer to hers. Lisa panicked and shoved him away. She clamped a hand over her mouth. "What the hell are you doing?"

Alec blinked. "I was going to kiss you."

"Well, don't!"

"But it wouldn't be the first time."

Lisa's eyes widened. "_Excuse me?_"

Alec fished out his cell phone from his pocket. He held it up for her to see. Lisa gasped, her cheeks burning up in shame. It was a picture of them locked in a passionate embrace. "It happened at the party. It probably would have gone even further if your cousin didn't drag you off."

_Thank you, Mondo!_ Lisa thought with a sigh of relief.

"Does everyone know about this?" she demanded.

"Yeah. Everyone took a picture of us on their cell phones."

"This doesn't make us an item," she argued. "I was drunk! I don't remember anything after we started doing the shots. Even that kiss!"

The professor entered the classroom. "All right. Sorry I'm late. Let's pick up where we last left off."

"I'm not giving up," said Alec. "I will make sure that you'll remember the next kiss."

Lisa stared at him with steely eyes.

"Mr. Thomas, please take a seat."

Alec gave her a determined look with such intensity. Lisa refused to crumble beneath his gaze.

(- -)

**(January 3, 2048, Friday)**

Lisa knocked on the door.

"Come in," said Klavier.

Lisa turned the knob and opened the door. "_Hallo, mein Vater._"

Klavier was standing in front of his TV screen with the remote in his hand. It looked like he was reviewing a tape for one of his cases.

"Ah, _Guten Tag, liebe Tochter,_" Klavier greeted pleasantly. "This is a surprise. What brings you down to the Prosecutor's Office?"

Lisa held up a plastic bag. "I thought you would like some lunch. It's Chinese food!"

Klavier chuckled. "_Danke_. Just put it on my desk. I'll eat once I finish reviewing this tape."

Lisa set down the bag before sitting down in her father's lounge chair. "Are you busy?"

"A little."

Lisa hesitated for a moment before saying, "Well, what I want to ask can wait."

Klavier glanced at his daughter. "What is it?" He paused the tape.

"Why did you fall in love with Mom?"

"Lisa, haven't we talked about this before?"

"I want to hear it again."

Klavier smiled. "I fell in love with your Mom because I did. She was interesting, smart, and funny. She had the most beautiful smiles. And she was one of those types you had to work for. She wasn't easily swayed, which made me chase after her even more."

"But you eventually caught her," she pointed out.

"That's true. But that chase never made me bored."

Lisa pursed her lips, her mind drifting to Alec. "Did you ever chase after Mom for a conquest or something?"

Klavier frowned. "No. I wouldn't have chased after her the way I did if it were for a conquest. I chased after her for two years. If I was doing it for a conquest, I would have given up after a few weeks."

"How many times did Mom reject your advances?"

He laughed. "A lot."

Lisa slumped down in the chair and scowled. Alec had been after her for almost three months. What if he really was in love with her? Was he going to be like her father and chase after her no matter how many times she rejected him? He couldn't be in love with her. Maybe he just really liked messing around with her.

"Is something going on, Lisa?"

She looked up at her father. "Well, Daddy, there's this guy…and he chases after me the way you chased after Mom."

"You've been rejecting him, haven't you?"

She nodded.

"For what reasons?"

"I keep asking myself, "Why would a guy like him go for a girl like me?" I mean, I dedicate most of my time to reading and studying. He plays soccer – I mean football – no wait, soccer, and parties. He drinks and lights up spliffs. He is one of the ones who should have a stereotypical WAG. He's annoying and as persistent as a cockroach!" she ranted. "He's a bloody fop and I just don't trust him!"

"You sound like your mother."

"So I've been told."

"Lisa, don't you think you ought to give this guy a chance?"

She crossed her arms. "Absolutely not!"

"It's always better to be with someone who loves you more than you could ever love them," explained Klavier. "You will always be comforted with the fact that he will only have eyes for you."

Lisa bit her tongue. She could have retorted something about _that woman_ who almost broke up their family several years ago, but that was in the past. She was long gone now.

"Give him a chance. He might just make you happy."

"And what if he doesn't?" asked Lisa.

"You can't guard yourself against heartbreak." Klavier thought for a moment before adding, "I've also got a .45 and shovel."

"Daddy!"

Klavier let out a throaty laugh. "I'm only kidding." He shrugged. "But you know that if this boy hurts you, he has your family to answer to."

Lisa shook her head. "If you murder him, it would be easy to cover it up." She began counting off her fingers. "Three prosecutors, two detectives, a police officer, a security guard, a defense attorney, a former defense attorney, a former con artist, a med student, a law student, a magician, an actress, two spirit mediums, a journalist, an heir to a bakery, a courthouse bookkeeper, a cowboy, a visionary artist in training, a history major, a music major, a business major, and three mischievous boys." She smiled at her father. "Looks like you have all your fields covered."

Klavier set down the remote and moved towards the Chinese food. He fished out a box and a pair of chopsticks.

"In all seriousness, Dad," said Lisa, "the worst thing a guy can do is let a girl fall in love with him when he doesn't intend to catch her fall. How do I know that this guy isn't going to do that to me?"

"If he really loves you, he will go to any length for you. And I mean _any_ length," answered Klavier. "Your mother once told me that she thought that my charm was like poison. It slowly infected her until she accepted my invitation to dinner. This guy might be able to do to the same to you."

Lisa banged her fists on the desk, furiously. "I won't allow it!"

"You can say that now, but your feelings will say otherwise in the future."

"I won't let them change," Lisa argued stubbornly.

Klavier stared at his daughter for a moment and sighed. "Lisa, how did Troy fall?" he asked.

She frowned, slightly confused. "The Greeks built a massive wooden horse and presented it to the Gates of Troy. The Trojans thought it was a gift from the gods and took it into their city. They had a feast and partied, celebrating this "gift." Little did they know that Greek soldiers were hidden inside the horse. When night fell and everyone was asleep, the Greek soldiers came out of their hiding place and opened the gates to let the other Greeks in. They destroyed the city from the inside out."

"That's right. Think of it this way. The city of Troy is you. The Trojan horse is this boy. The Greek soldiers are his feelings for you. He will tear down the walls you have set up."

Her eyes fell, her face turning to disappointment. She sighed.

"Not exactly what you wanted to hear, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah." She snatched up one of the boxes and opened it up. "So am I just supposed to resign myself to the fact that I'm going to end up falling in love with him?"

"You should, but…it'll be up to you if you allow yourself to accept that truth." Klavier chewed on a piece of teriyaki. "Will you walk along the path of denial or will you walk along the path of a grand passion?"

Lisa poked the rice with her chopsticks. "Is it a musician kind of thing for everything to be a "grand passion?""

"What?"

"If I'm like Mom, then Lotte's like you."

Klavier laughed. "Lisa, I could have told you that myself."

(- -)

**(September 5, 2049, Sunday)**

Lisa picked up a nameless jar from the table. She was at her friend Samantha's house. "Samantha, what is this?" she asked.

"Ah, that is my moisturizer," answered Samantha. "It's my own secret recipe."

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Is it _safe_?"

"From all the tests I've done, yes, it is."

Lisa nodded. "Cool. Do you mind?"

"Go right ahead."

She unscrewed the cap and dipped her finger inside the pale cream. She rubbed it onto her face and smiled. "Wow… It's so light! It's like a small piece of heaven!"

Samantha clapped gleefully. "Isn't it? I've used similar recipes to create shampoo and conditioner."

Lisa screwed the cap back on. "You could create your own business with these. They're amazing!"

"I've thought of that, but money is the issue. I need money to open up a small store, and even then, I can't create all of the products by myself. It's too much."

"I could help," suggested Lisa.

Samantha laughed. "Are you sure you're not just trying to get my secret recipe?"

"You can keep the recipe. I just really like this moisturizer," she answered. "I'll make you a deal. You just keep creating these amazing products. I'll handle the business of the store: selling, marketing, et cetera."

Samantha nodded. "Okay. Sure."

(- -)

**(September 7, 2049, Tuesday)**

_I have no money to open up a small shop!_

Lisa scowled as she stared up at the _How to Make Fast Money for Dummies_ books. She was in Blackwell Bookshop where Mondo worked. (He always let her use his employee discount.) She stood up on her tip toes and carefully balanced herself as she tried to inch a book off of the higher shelves. A hand reached out and grabbed the book off the shelf and placed it into her hand. Lisa turned to see a grinning Alec.

"All you have to do is ask," he replied pleasantly.

"What are you doing here?" She opened up the book and started flipping through it.

"Looking for you."

"Stalker."

Alec chuckled. "More importantly, why are you reading books on how to make fast money?"

"Because I need money."

"Why don't you just work the street corners?" he joked.

Lisa snapped the book shut before smacking him in the arm with it.

"I'm joking! Jeez, you ought to have a sense of humor!"

Lisa sighed. "I grew up with that kind of humor." _Isn't that right, Richard, you bastard?_

"So what do you need the money for?"

"Samantha and I are going to open up our own skin care and beauty store," answered Lisa. "She's making the products while I oversee the business and sales."

"And you need the money to buy a place to run that shop," deduced Alec.

"That's right." Lisa smiled. "I am a business major, and I've always wanted to run my own business. I just need the money to get started."

"What if I give you that money?"

She quickly glanced up at him. "What?"

"I'll give you the money to start your business. I'll pay for you guys to have a place and to create your products."

Lisa hesitated. She wanted to say yes right off the bat, but was there some kind of catch? "Do I have to do something in return?"

"You can pay me back little by little," answered Alec. It sounded a little too good to be true- "Oh, and you have to have dinner with me every Friday."

"Drop the Friday dinner and we have a deal."

Alec laughed. "No way. My offer will stand as is."

Ema flashed in Lisa's mind. She could remember all of the stories her mother use to tell her. Before her parents started "officially" dating, they occasionally went out to lunch together. In the end, Ema would ask Klavier if he was paying. Maybe it was her blood coursing through her veins. The words just spilled out. "If I go to dinner with you, will you always be paying?" She quickly clamped her hands over her mouth.

Alec's grin widened. "Are you accepting my offer?"

Lisa quickly recovered. Her hands fell from her face. She cocked her hips to one side and turned her nose up slightly. "I kind of have to. I mean, I am a starving college student after all."

She expected Alec to laugh, but he pushed aside her bangs, laying a soft kiss on her forehead. She felt a tiny jolt of shock course through her.

"Just tell me how much you need," he whispered.

_A lot…maybe a lot more than I actually need._

(- -)

**(October 22, 2055, Friday)**

"Hello! Welcome to Ethereal Cosmetics!" greeted Lisa.

Richard raised his eyebrow in amusement. "They make the CEO work in the store?"

"Bite me," Lisa snapped.

"No thanks."

"It doesn't matter. I like to work in the store. It's better than the piling paperwork on my desk."

Richard and Lotte were in Oxford visiting for the twins' birthday.

"Wow! Looks really nice! It really is the European philosophy!" exclaimed Lotte. She threw her arms around her younger twin and in a sweet voice she said, "Hey, sis, you wanna give me a discount?"

"Sure, I'll give you a 5% discount."

Lotte gasped. "You cheapskate! I'm your favorite sister!"

"You're my _only_ sister," corrected Lisa. "Fine. 10%."

"Can't you go a little higher?"

"How high?"

"90%?"

"As much as I love you, no. I have a business to run."

"So how does your business work?" asked Richard.

"Samantha and I are the CEOs of Ethereal Cosmetics. She handles all of the production of our products, which I call the science portion. She supervises manufacture as well as testing and conversing with other doctors and scientists. I oversee the business prospects such as shipping, marketing, and finances. I have subordinates working on all of that, but I oversee all their work. Samantha and I come up with the new products together though," explained Lisa.

"Impressive. How far have you guys expanded?"

"In the five, six years we've operated, we've opened branches all over the UK, and we're working on opening a branch in the US." Lisa sighed. "Honestly, I'm worried about the US branch. Our biggest competitor will be philosophy, and they've been around longer than us."

"You'll do fine," said Lotte. "You were an instant hit here."

Lisa shrugged. "I want to increase production and lower the prices a little so we can sell more, but I don't want to put pressure on Samantha. She's been busy, and mass production will just kill her."

"You don't have to take over the world right away," said Richard. "Just work at a leisurely pace."

Lisa laughed. "Isn't that inspiring?" She glanced at the cash registers. "All right, you guys go ahead and look around. We have products for baths, showers, hair, skincare, makeup and perfume. I have to check up on everyone at the registers."

"What about my discount?" joked Lotte.

Lisa grinned. "Buy over a thousand pounds worth and I'll give you a 50% discount."

"You're asking my fiancée to buy over seven hundred US dollars for your products?" asked Richard. "Are you crazy?"

Lisa shrugged as she stepped backwards. "Hey, I have a business to run and debt to pay off, consider yourselves lucky." With another laugh, she went to the cash registers to check up on any problems.

Later, she looked away from her work and saw Richard browsing by the men's section. When she saw Lotte, she was by the fragrances. She was frowning with her arms crossed as Alec was talking to her. Lisa rolled her eyes and got up. "Jenna, can you take over here for a minute?" she asked. "I need to go take care of something." Lisa walked over to the pair and put an arm around her sister. "Alec, quit hitting on my sister!"

Alec quickly glanced between the two women in surprise. He was seeing double.

Lisa smirked at his face. "Oh, did I ever tell you that I'm twin?"

"You missed that," he replied. He quickly recovered and said, "Twins, huh? A pair of gorgeous sisters."

"Stop hitting on us," she said coolly. "It's disgusting."

"Says who?"

Lisa raised Lotte's left hand, showing him the diamond ring on her finger. "Says this ring on her, and I just find you naturally repulsive."

"Lisa, who is this?" asked Lotte.

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Lotte, this Alec Thomas. Alec, this is my twin sister, Lotte."

Lotte promptly understood who Alec was. She smiled as she shook his hand. "Pleasure to meet you." She leaned to the side and yelled, "Richard, come here! This is _Alec Thomas_!"

Richard immediately drifted away from the men's section, laughing. "Where?"

Lisa groaned. "You can forget the discount now."

Richard stuck out his hand. "Richard Edgeworth. I'm Lotte's fiancée."

Alec shook his hand. "Alec Thomas, Lisa's boyfriend."

"You're not my boyfriend," she cut in.

"I've heard of your parents, Miles Edgeworth and Franziska von Karma," said Alec. "Rather famous in Europe and especially Germany for being genius prosecutors under the tutelage of Manfred von Karma. Are you a prosecutor as well?"

Richard chuckled. "I can assure that I am nothing like my parents."

"It's true," Lotte and Lisa answered together.

"So how long have you known these two lovely ladies?"

"Since infancy."

"Then you must know them pretty well."

"Of course. So well that I'm one of the few people who can tell them apart."

"Also true," said the twins.

"It can't be that hard, can it?" asked Alec, glancing between the two girls.

Lisa smiled. "You have no idea."

"You want to bet?"

"I was hoping you would say that." Lisa clapped her hands together. "We'll play the "Guess Who's Lotte" game. If I win, you knock off five thousand pounds from our debt. And if you win-"

"You go on vacation with me to Ireland," said Alec.

"What?"

Alec grinned and stuck out his hand. "Come on, shake on it."

Lisa glared at him before shrugging nonchalantly. "Whatever. Deal. I already know you're going to lose anyway." She grabbed her sister and dragged her off to the back to the store.

"Is it really hard to tell them apart?" asked Alec.

"Only if you don't know them. You just have to have a good eye for details. That's why only three people can tell them apart."

"Only three?"

"Our friend Diana is an expert at perceiving body language, that's how she can tell them apart. Their cousin Mondo plays poker on a regular basis, so he took a page out of his godfather's book and learned how to read body language. I can tell them apart because I notice the little things that set them apart."

"Their parents can't tell them apart?"

"Not all the time. The girls used to do twin switches so often that they've managed to hide the details that make them different."

Lotte and Lisa came out of the back of the store wearing identical white T-shirts, an Ethereal Cosmetics apron, the same jeans, and white shoes. They smiled and said together, "It's time for the "Guess Who's Lotte" game! Can you tell the difference?"

Alec blinked. The two looked were identical to the very last strand of hair. Though they lived in different countries, their hair was the same length and every layer was exact. Their eyes were an azure blue, and when he stared at them, he could see the wall they put up to hide any distinction. He could tell it wasn't easily penetrated either.

Richard laughed. "I can already tell who's who!"

Alec studied them a little further, but made no progress. He was just going to have to take a guess. He pointed to the twin on his left and said, "That's Lotte. The other is Lisa."

"Wrong!" the girls announced.

"Are they lying?" Alec asked Richard.

"No. The one on the left is Lisa and the one of the right is Lotte."

The twins clapped cheerfully. "Correct!"

Lisa stepped forward with a wide grin. "I want a copy of the receipt saying that you took off five thousand pounds from the company debt."

Alec frowned with disappointed. "All right. I'll get it to you next Friday at dinner."

"Dinner?" repeated Richard. He and Lotte smirked at each other.

"Along with paying back the money I owe him, I have to have dinner with Alec every Friday," Lisa answered tentatively. "It was part our deal."

"Today's Friday," said Lotte.

"I know."

Richard and Lotte sniggered. "Well, then, we'll just leave you lovebirds for the night."

"Don't come home to late," commented Richard. "And if you don't come home tonight…" He grinned. "Well, we'll know."

Lisa glared at him. "If you're not going to buy anything, then get out of my shop."

Lotte waved at her sister and said, "_Adieu, chère sœur. Je vais acheter quelque chose demain._"

"_Sans une remise!_"

The older twin only laughed. "I don't care." She went to the back of the store again to change. When she came back, she linked arms with Richard before strolling out of the store.

Lisa let out a heavy sigh. Alec touched her arm lightly. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"All of a sudden I'm exhausted."

"We can skip dinner tonight."

It looked like an easy way out. She could have agreed and spent the night with her sister and Richard, but she said, "No… It's fine. We'll do dinner tonight. Just…not a restaurant. Nothing stuffy."

"All right."

(- -)

"Casual enough for you?" asked Alec, holding the door open.

Lisa stared in awe at the rooftop of the building. She could see the twinkling lights of the city from there. She ran up to the ledge and leaned against it. She could see the people walking on the sidewalk down below. Alec joined her at the ledge, placing a box of warm pizza on top and a bottle of wine with two glasses.

"I love it!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah! A perfect ten!" Lisa beamed.

Alec smiled. "Then I'm happy that you're happy." He opened up the bottle of wine and filled up both glasses. "Cheers."

Lisa clinked her glass with his. "Cheers." They took a sip before getting started on the pizza.

She found it to be an enjoyable night. Maybe it was the wine or the view that made her feel more at ease with Alec. When it was getting colder, he put his jacket around her and pulled her closer. She didn't object. He made her warmer than his jacket ever could.

Maybe, and just maybe, she was a step farther from denial and a step closer to a grand passion.

* * *

This was a ridiculously long chapter. Much longer than I anticipated.

Around the time that I was writing Chapter 15, I had started on this chapter. It was originally supposed to be Chapter 17, but I pushed it back because I finished the "Similarity" chapter first. But anyway, this chapter was originally supposed to be about Lisa and based on "Wish You Were Here" by Incubus. When I started writing it, it introduced Alec Thomas, and it deviated from my original idea. Instead, it made Lisa sound a lot like Ema, so I thought it would a good parallel of sorts.

The academic year at Oxford is divided into three eight week terms: Michaelmas (autumn), Hilary (spring), and Trinity (summer). The school year goes from October to June.

I looked up the origin of "Skye" and it said that it was from Scotland. So I think it would be safe to say that Lana and Ema and their kids have some Scottish in them.

Effy Stonem is a character from a British TV teen drama called _Skins_. The show follows a group of friends as they go through "sixth form," or the final two years of secondary school where they take A-level examinations to get into university. What is unique about the show is that the cast changes every two seasons and it is known to cast relatively unknown actors and actresses who are about sixteen-eighteen, the same age as students going through sixth form. Effy Stonem is shown throughout the first two seasons as Tony Stonem's little sister (and Tony is a main character). She later is a main cast member for the second generation cast of _Skins_. I love the show since it's pretty interesting and it supposed to be rather realistic. Although, I think that seasons three and four were a freaking soap opera instead. America is actually going to do its own adaptation of _Skins_ and will air on MTV in the fall, but I think it's going to be DISASTROUS. (Watch the British version and you'll understand why an American _Skins_ is terrible.)

A WAG is a British tabloid term that means "wives and girlfriends" of athletes, especially football players. Stereotypical WAGs are blonde, tanned, and stupid.

I always had trouble with Mondo's personality and demeanor. While all of the kids have their distinct personality, I couldn't think up of how Mondo would be different from the others. He was first just a bookworm, wanted to be a doctor, and had fun messing with his sisters, but that was it. I didn't want him to be timid or anything because he frequently read books. So when Mondo says early in the chapter, "Fifty bucks says that you marry him," I got the idea that Mondo would be a gambler. You can already tell that he's going to get in a lot of trouble for it.

Speaking of gambling, I wasn't quite sure how much Mondo should bet on the game. Is 5000 pounds a lot of money to gamble? It was originally going to be 1000 pounds, but then I thought that since tuition at Oxford University is a little over three thousand (if I can remember correctly), maybe it wasn't enough. Someone needs to correct me on this.

German vs. Irish! Who would win in a drinking battle?

The legal drinking age in England is 18. Kids can actually start drinking as early as six, but only in the privacy of their own home. At the age of 16, kids can have a drink in a restaurant, but only under the supervision of a parent or guardian. Then again, teenagers don't care what the legal drinking age is and will start whenever the parents aren't around.

Again, philosophy is a skin care/beauty brand. They use science to create better and more natural products that will improve the body. I love them, but they are incredibly expensive.

Truth be told, I was thinking of Lisa having this complex relationship with Alec, but then she ends up with someone else. At this point, I'm not sure how their relationship will progress.

I think that's all for now.

Next Chapter: She had the smile that took the nation by storm.


	19. The Smile that Took the Nation By Storm

(- -)

Chapter 19

The Smile that Took the Nation by Storm

**(August 19, 2048, Wednesday)**

Ema stepped into the courthouse's hall of records. It was quiet except for the shuffling of files and papers. She looked around before tentatively calling out, "Lana?"

"Yeah?" Lana popped out from behind a bookshelf behind Ema.

"Ah!" Ema jumped in surprise, holding a hand over heart. "Jeez! You startled me!"

Lana laughed. "Sorry. What did you need?"

Ema handed her a case file. "Here. Came to bring it back."

Lana took it. "Oh, thanks. I'll input it back in the computer." Her sister turned to leave but she quickly added, "Oh! I wanted to show you something, Ema!"

"Like what?"

Lana led her sister to the front desk. She sat down behind her computer to check the case file back in before whipping out a thick magazine from her purse. "Look, look!"

Ema looked at the title. "I didn't know you bought Cosmopolitan magazines," she replied.

"I only bought it because of who is on the cover!" She held it up and thrust it into Ema's face.

Ema pushed it back a little to get a proper view. Her mouth fell when she saw the model splashed across the cover. She was a beautiful woman with long ebony locks and dark blue eyes that were accentuated by the black eyeliner and smoky eye shadow. She was smirking, but her eyes did all the smiling for her. "It's Luna!"

"That's right." Lana tapped her finger on one of the headlines.

""The smile that took the nation by storm: an interview with supermodel Luna Marshall,"" read Ema. "That is so cool!" She took the magazine from Lana and quickly flipped to the interview. "You want to read it now?"

Lana thought for a moment. She had more records to put away, but she really did want to read her daughter's interview. She leaned over to read the content.

(- -)

_Luna Marshall (born May 8, 2025) is an American supermodel. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, California to Jake and Lana Marshall. She has an older brother and sister. She was scouted by Affinity at the age of 19. She had a natural talent for the camera and the runway, and her smile has captured the hearts of the nation. Since then, she has modeled for such magazines such as Seventeen, Vogue, Marie Claire, and has worked for numerous advertisements. She has done runway shows for many famous designers such as Liz Claiborne, Chanel, and Christian Siriano. Most recently, she has become one of the youngest supermodels to become a Victoria's Secret Angel._

_Q: After signing on with Affinity, what did you do?_

LM: "After signing with Affinity, I did some model training and took some acting classes. I actually learned the proper way to pose and walk as well as how to work with my facial expressions. When you're modeling for magazines, runways, and ads, you usually don't smile, so you have to learn how to smile using your eyes and body language. The first few modeling classes were pretty tough because I had to walk around in heels all the time. I wasn't used to it before, so my first pairs are filled with my blood. I'm a pro at it now."

_Q: Did you ever suspect that you would become a model?_

LM: "No. _(laugh)_ I never expected to be scouted. I mean, my friends and I have pretended to practice our "model" walk, but I never imagined that it would turn out this way. When I was scouted by Affinity, I was told that they were instantly drawn to my smile, which really surprised me. I was voted as "Most Friendliest" in my high school's superlatives, not "Best Smile." If I had to choose one of my best features, I wouldn't choose my smile. Then again, I think the person you know the least is yourself. I may think I don't have a pretty smile, but people say otherwise."

_Q: What's it like being a model?_

LM: "It's harder than it looks. You have to be beautiful 24/7, even if you're feeling under the weather and you don't feel like you're at the top of your game. You have to run around the city in heels in order to get to your jobs. Thank god for taxis. Other than that, runway shows are pretty hectic. You have to run between getting your hair done to makeup to putting on the clothes and getting in line. Backstage, I'm always running around, trying to get everything done for just this one moment when I strut my stuff down a runway. Once I'm back backstage, I'm back to running around, changing outfits and getting back into place. It's really demanding, and it can be stressful at times. At the end of the day, it good to take off my heels and relax in bed before I have to do it all over again."

_Q: Do you ever feel like weight is an issue?_

LM: "Sometimes, but I don't let be an issue. I eat three healthy meals a day with small snacks in between. I exercise regularly as well, but I think that running all over a city in heels is exercise enough! I also stay far away from diet pills. From what I've noticed, agencies need beautiful models that can be beautiful all the time: natural and when dolled up. By taking diet pills, you look so gaunt and unnatural. You will feel so much better if you lose the weight naturally. Plus it will make you happier."

_Q: Who is your favorite designer?_

LM: "Christian Siriano! Absolutely! I wasn't even born yet when he first started out. I saw his earliest works and then how they have progressed over the years and his designs are absolutely amazing. I was so excited when I got to model for his Summer 2046 line, and I told him that I would wear anything he made. I love him. He's amazing!"

_Q: This is a rather personal question, and you don't have to answer, but what do you wear to bed at night?_

LM: "_(laughs)_ Nothing designer. I just wear pajama bottoms and a T-shirt. During the summer, it's shorts and a T-shirt. Very basic. No one's going to see me, and this is the point of the day when I have no makeup on and I'm very natural. I like going as casual as possible."

_Q: What made you want to become a Victoria's Secret Angel?_

LM: "Well, I heard that they were holding auditions for a new Angel, and Affinity suggested that I go for it. I had just been working on ads and a few runway shows, so I decided to give it a shot. I thought it would be a good way to broaden my experience a little. I had thought of myself as a "cute" model and not "sexy." When I was chosen to be in the top ten and then the top five and then the top two, I realized that I can be "sexy" as well. Anyone can be sexy."

_Q: You've said before that your family is the most important thing in your life. Why?_

LM: "Oh, yes. They're incredibly important to me. My parents and their friends go way back, so after everything they've been through, they're really close. As a result their kids are close as well. I mean, we grew up together since infancy. We aren't related by blood, but we consider each other as brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. One of the girls I grew up with, a little sister if you will, once told me that our families aren't friends. We're family, and she's right. I really love my family. Even though there are times we fight, at the end of the day, we have to love each other."

_Q: What would be your favorite memory of your family?_

LM: "About five years ago, my whole family went on a vacation to Las Vegas. While the adults were having fun gambling, us kids had fun on our own around the hotel. There were nine of us, three boys and six girls. The older two were old enough to go gambling, but they stayed with us. When my brother and the other two boys are together, they tend to spark up trouble, unintentionally and intentionally. Let's just say that we spent our time riding the elevators up and down and then running down the hallways and stairwells when chased by a security guard."

_Q: When you're not modeling, what do you like to do on your free time?_

LM: "I like hanging out with my friends, but when I'm not doing that, I like riding horses. My dad owns a ranch, so I've grown up around a lot of animals. I love them so I work at animal shelters and on PETA campaigns. Unfortunately, meat is an important part of diet as well, so I can't become a vegetarian. The least I can do is making sure that the meat I eat didn't come from animals that were abused."

_Q: Now closing up, do you have any advice for anyone wanting to become a model?_

LM: "Models and designers need to work together to achieve the best results. If you are a model and a designer employs you, please go and do the fittings as soon as possible. The designers stress over the show, and they don't need any additional stress. So go and meet with the designers, do the fittings so that can make any alterations if needed. On the day of the runway show, get to the tents as soon as possible. They have to oversee EVERYTHING, and you don't want them to panic over a girl not arriving and it's almost show time."

(- -)

"Well," began Lana, "that didn't reveal anything new about Luna."

"Maybe for us," corrected Ema. "But I didn't know that Luna's favorite memory was when we went to Vegas."

Lana shook her head. "I don't want to remember that. Our kids being chased by security throughout a hotel because the boys couldn't contain their curiosity!"

Ema laughed. "I thought it was funny."

"Devlin was twenty-three! Mondo was twenty! Richard was sixteen! They're supposed to be grown up, but they acted like a bunch of immature ten year olds! And in the process, they dragged the girls in the whole mess!"

Ema sighed. Lana was such an uptight parent. She had to loosen up and be a little more carefree like her husband. It was perfectly understandable that unsupervised kids (though could you call them unsupervised when they had a couple of twenty-year-olds with them?) would want to hit the buttons of an elevator just to ride it from the roof to the ground floor, and if they were chased by security, the first option that comes to mind is to _run_. That would be the only option because they wouldn't be able to think of anything else other than how to get away.

Lana was still fuming at the thought of that memory. Ema closed the magazine. "All right, I have to get back to work. I'm sure you have other stuff to do," said Ema. "Stop worrying about all this. It's in the past."

The older sister took a deep breath, trying to dispel the bad energy. "Fine. I'll show this to everyone later."

(- -)

"DUDE!" yelled Stella. "I just saw it! Mom just showed me the magazine!"

Luna giggled on the other end of the line. "Isn't it nice?"

"Amazing is more like it!"

"Aw, stop! You're making me blush!"

Stella laughed. "Always the modest one, Luna."

"If I'm the modest one, and Mondo is the…risk taker, I guess, then what does that make you?" asked Luna.

"The cool one?"

"Presumptuous, kind of like Uncle Nick."

Stella laughed. "How's New York?"

"Big. Fashionable. Just like the way Kyra and Lotte describe it."

"Have you gone to visit them?"

"Of course," said Luna, "but I don't have much time for long visits. I have to meet with designers and do a lot of shoots. I'm sure Lotte has school work and Kyra has to practice for her plays and teach her classes. Oh! You're back in LA, aren't you?"

"Mm. I have my attorney badge, and Uncle Phoenix gave me a job at the agency."

"Did you make your debut yet?"

"I did. A couple of weeks ago."

"How did you do?"

"I won."

"Congratulations!"

"Thanks. I actually have a lot of paper work to get done so I'll let you go. You're probably really exhausted where you are."

"I'm fine."

"Don't overwork yourself. Charm the nation, doll!"

Luna giggled. "Haven't I already done that?"

"Then aim for the world! They'll be charmed by your irresistible smile," said Stella. "Good night, Miss Supermodel."

Luna smiled. "Good night, Miss Attorney."

* * *

In "The Parent Trap," I described Luna as being very friendly and charming, which earned her a lot of friends. I envision her with a really beautiful smile that could capture the hearts of people. That's why I could see her as a model.

Affinity Talent and Modeling is a famous agency mainly located in Los Angeles.

Christian Siriano is my favorite designer! I watched him on Project Runway and totally became a fan. He makes amazing clothes, and I love all of his quirks.

Luna's favorite memory takes place maybe a month or so before "The Parent Trap" and the school year (so maybe around May-July 2043), so that's why Richard's age is listed as sixteen. (He was born on August 13.) This is also why Devlin's age is listed as twenty-three. (Born on December 10.)

I may make a chapter out of her favorite memory. Debating it though. The memory was inspired by _Skins_. In season 4's opening, you see a few shots of the characters running down stairs into a hallway, down a hallway, and rushing out of a door. Then I remembered all of the times during the show when the cast were running away, and I thought that it seemed like fun to being running away with your friends. (Am I making any sense?) So I decided to make that Luna's favorite memory. Having fun messing around in a hotel and then being chased by security does sound kind of like fun. I don't know if I will make it its own chapter. I'm really not too good at action scenes.

The last scene was supposed to originally going to be between Lana and Luna, but I wanted some interaction between the two sisters instead. It feels like the most interaction between the Marshall kids happens mostly between Stella and Mondo.

**IMPORTANT NOTE!**

**I have already completed and edited Chapter 20 and that will be posted next Sunday, but after that, this story is going on a temporary hiatus because right now, I am taking a really difficult class for summer school and I need to devote my time to studying so I can get at least a B. Expect no updates for two to three weeks, and hopefully, it won't be any longer.  
**

Next Chapter: They all had those moments where they were so ridiculously happy.


	20. Infinite Happiness

(- -)

Chapter 20

Infinite Happiness

**(June 15, 2026, Monday)**

Ema hated the smell of fresh blood. (Which is why she was always crankier when she got her monthly bill, but that was beside the point.) The scent was easy to pick up, so when she got to the scene of the crime, she became moodier than ever. The only thing to distract her was the sweet, lovely smell of her Snackoos. But when Mr. Wright's apprentice and daughter showed up with that familiar bottle of white powder, she was elated.

Science and Snackoos.

That's when she felt the happiest.

(- -)

**(July 11, 2019, Thursday)**

Klavier strummed his guitar slowly, each chord trembling throughout the quiet room. He had written loves songs, one of which went platinum overnight. He had written love songs that he never released to the public. Those were considerably different from the Gavinners' style. Love ballads were his when it was just him.

He felt somewhat dissatisfied with the love songs he wrote though. He felt like they had no substance. Who was he writing them for? He was only seventeen. He had never been in love before. Who was this girl he wanted to sing to?

He strummed the chords again.

He'd find her eventually.

(- -)

**(August 3, 2048, Monday)**

There were times when Phoenix wondered how the Chief felt, giving rise to a legend. But now he knew. So many years ago, he took a newbie defense lawyer under his wing just like the way Mia did for him. With time, Apollo Justice had risen to the top and became a legend of his own. Now, today, he was going to do the same thing for his goddaughter.

He couldn't describe how proud he felt.

(- -)

**(March 16, 2019, Saturday)**

Outside of investigations and courtroom proceedings, Edgeworth managed to find peace and quiet at home. All it took was an open window to let the breeze in, a comfortable chair, a good book, Pesu lying at his feet, and a cup of Earl Grey tea.

It only lasted until someone managed to burst through the door with something to tell.

(- -)

Franziska hated going back to the home she grew up in. It held too many unpleasant memories, many of which had to do with her father. She hated all of those memories of sucking up to him, constantly trying to win his approval. Though the house was left to her in her father's will, she instead turned it over to her sister and her niece.

That is the only time she ever returned to that house. She found it comforting that her niece was creating happy memories there, overturning the once oppressive atmosphere to something more refreshing.

Franziska hoped that one day she would be able to go back that house without feeling plagued.

(- -)

**(June 19, 2027, Saturday)**

For eight years, Maya had not left Kurain Village. She had her duties as Master. It was hard to adjust at first, but it got better with Pearl helping her. Though she kept in contact with her friends, it wasn't the same without a visit. She was far too busy to take a vacation.

When Pearl turned seventeen, she forced Maya to go to LA on vacation. She was capable of handling the Village and the trainees on her own.

With reunions and hamburgers, the trip had never been better.

(- -)

**(April 17, 2043, Friday)**

In addition to being a spirit medium, Pearl also saw herself as a matchmaker. She was the one who pushed Apollo and Vera together. She paired up couples around Kurain as well. The only couple she tried to get to be together still weren't together no matter how many time she tried.

When she got older, her matchmaking schemes got more complex, but it seemed like Phoenix and Maya weren't getting any closer to walking down the aisle. As a last resort, she pushed them into a closet and locked the door. In order to get out, they made her a deal: If Maya was still unmarried at the age of sixty, she and Phoenix would get married.

Pearl had to wait seventeen years for her dreams to be realized.

Now she just had to convince them to get to it a little bit sooner.

(- -)

**(January 17, 2027, Sunday)**

Wocky had never felt more alive. He had undergone surgery to get that bullet removed from his body. He felt better, braver, and a lot healthier he had ever been. After being released from the hospital, he went to go pay a visit to the Wright Anything Agency. He wanted to thank Apollo for defending him at his trial. If he didn't, he would have died in jail.

He felt most alive when he ran into that girl with light brown hair and brown eyes, wearing the most peculiar clothes outside the Agency.

(- -)

**(March 19, 2020, Thursday)**

For a very long time, Gumshoe had eaten the unhealthy meals of instant noodles and TV dinners. Edgeworth often compared him to a starving college student. He always found it to be a treat when he got eat something else.

That's why he was so happy when he married Maggey. She couldn't cook that well, but everyday was like a feast for him.

(- -)

**(December 10, 2020, Thursday)**

Maggey could think of a million things that could go wrong today. She could burn the cake. She could miss one of Devlin's "first" moments. Guests wouldn't show up. With Lady Luckless, anything could go wrong at Devlin's first birthday.

She was so relieved when everything went the way it was supposed to.

(- -)

**(November 22, 2020, Sunday)**

Lana knew very well that once something is broken, it can never be the same again. _That_ incident broke down her life. It had ruined her, her relationship with her sister, her boyfriend, and everyone who was involved.

When she stepped out of the prison doors, she had the chance of starting over, but she knew. She knew that everything couldn't go back to the way it was before _that_ incident. But she could try. She rebuilt her relationship with her sister through a series of emails and phone calls. She got a job at the courthouse in order to stay closer to the law. She made up with Jake, and they took it slow, starting over from the very beginning.

She was just happy to have her life back.

(- -)

**(February 19, 2050, Saturday)**

Jake periodically visited Neil's grave. He gave his brother updates on how life was going: the ranch was going well, Lana was content with life, Mondo was going to be a doctor soon, Stella was doing her best to defend her clients from injustice, and Luna was having fun as a model. He felt a sense of peace in that graveyard.

Jake felt a shiver run up his spine.

He could tell that Neil was sitting there beside him.

(- -)

**(September 3, 2028, Sunday)**

Trucy stood, rooted to the spot. Her mouth hung open, and she tried to breathe through her sobs. She immediately recognized her mother. When she was little, she had spent countless nights staring at her picture in the locket. She always wanted to meet her, to see what she was like.

And here she was, standing in front of her.

Her mother had been a lot closer than she believed.

(- -)

**(December 20, 2054, Sunday)**

Apollo was always busy with his cases, but he always made time for his family. He frequently set up date nights with Vera to keep the spark going. On nights like that, Diana would quickly leave to stay at a friend's home to give them some "privacy." The date nights for the past several years were slightly different. Apollo and Vera didn't have to worry about Diana rushing out of the apartment because she was touring the world.

So when Apollo and Vera came home from dinner to find the apartment lights on, they were alarmed. That is until they opened up the door to find Diana sitting on the couch with a smile on her face.

"I'm home."

(- -)

**(October 10, 2026, Saturday)**

Vera had vowed to change. She vowed to venture out into the world and work on original art. She stared down at the very first piece of art by Vera Misham. A young girl was smiling with her magic trick, Mr. Hat, and next to her was a newbie defense attorney. She couldn't contain her joy.

It was the first step for her.

(- -)

**(January 19, 2044, Tuesday)**

Devlin knew the dangers of being a police officer. He was putting his life on the line everyday. But he felt much happier when he managed to apprehend criminals. It made the city a little bit safer. The pay may have not been too much, but the work was fulfilling.

That was enough for him.

(- -)

**(April 22, 2048, Wednesday)**

Kyra stared up at the sky. Dark clouds blended together as drops of rain hastily hit the side walk. The road was deserted, and it was difficult to see what was in front of her.

She had been acting for so long that it was no problem to become the character she was supposed to embody. She sometimes worried that amidst the various masks she wore, she would lose herself. Who was the real Kyra?

She unzipped her jacket and set it down on the bench. She walked out from under the protection of the bus stop roof and into the rain. She was soaked in a matter of seconds. She looked up, cold drops of rain falling on her face.

She remembered who she was.

She was Kyra Gumshoe.

(- -)

**(August 5, 2041, Monday)**

It was Mondo's first day of work. He was excited. When he moved to Oxford, Blackwell Bookstore became his favorite place in the whole city so it was a dream come true for him to get a job there. He needed the money and the job involved books.

It was perfect.

(- -)

**(January 14, 2049, Thursday)**

Stella found herself looking over her Uncle Phoenix's old case files again. She always marveled how he could come back from desperate situations and find the true killer. She had taken a few cases already, but none of them were as spectacular as his. When she was a child, she wanted to be like him. Now, she knew that was impossible in a sense. There was no way that she could be exactly like him.

Her godfather and mentor was a phoenix, a bird that could die and be reborn from the ashes. As such, he could come back from any desperate situation.

She was a star, a tiny one at the moment. She couldn't burn brightly yet, but she would eventually grow. She was going to be the gleam of hope for her clients, lighting their way to a new future.

(- -)

**(June 25, 2044, Saturday)**

Luna fiddled with the ruffles of her dress. It was her very first runway show. She was nervous. It was all for this one moment. Questions and doubt ran through her head. What if she tripped over her own feet? What if she ruined the dress?

She took a deep breath. A month of modeling classes didn't seem like it was enough, but she was going to have to try her best. She remembered what her modeling coach taught her: Don't focus on the flash of cameras, your steps, the people or how uncomfortable you are. Just imagine that you are the most beautiful woman in the world and everyone is here to see you.

Luna felt someone give her a little push. It was her turn. With her hands on her hips, a smile in her eyes, she walked out.

(- -)

**(March 3, 2051, Thursday)**

Richard used to be clueless when it came to love. He often heard that it was often indescribable. If that was the case, then how were you supposed to know you were truly in love if you couldn't describe the feeling? Was it really love or just a vague inclination?

He looked down at the paperwork he was supposed to be doing for the past hour. All over the page, he had absentmindedly written, "I love her. I love her. I love her. I love her." And he realized what it was like to be in love.

If you could repeat those three words over and over and tell the whole world, and the feeling doesn't disappear or lose meaning, then it's real love.

Richard Edgeworth loved her.

And the feeling didn't disappear.

(- -)

**(April 22, 2033, Friday)**

Lotte found it to be a wonder when she stepped into her father's office for the very first time. The walls contained displays of Klavier's guitars. Cabinets were filled with sheet music instead of case files. She wondered how these instruments could produce such beautiful music.

Klavier stepped out of his office for a moment. Ignoring her sister's pleas, she picked up the keys from her father's desk and unlocked the glass window. She carefully took out one of the guitars and sat down in the chair. She strummed the strings. She scowled. Her fingers hurt. Gritting her teeth together, she continued to strum the guitar.

Lotte wondered how her father made this look so easy.

She wanted to find out.

(- -)

**(October 27, 2046, Saturday)**

_Time._

Lisa stared down at the word on the paper. In order to get into Oxford, she had to write an essay centered on this one word. It was simple, yet devilish. She had to write a coherent essay in three hours and make it sound absolutely brilliant. The tradition of writing an essay on a simple noun was once discontinued, but the current warden of Oxford University decided to bring it back. Her whole future was riding on this one essay about this one word.

_Time._

Lisa closed her eyes and thought of her life. She thought of all the good memories like family vacations and all the bad memories like when her family was about to be broken up. She then realized that life is like flowing down a river. Time flowed continuously like water. It could flow slowly or rapidly. Would people stop to enjoy the view or be swept away by the current without enjoying the scenery? Everything rode on time.

She understood, and the essay became…simple.

She picked up her pen to write.

(- -)

**(May 10, 2052, Friday)**

Diana was miles away from home. She wanted to see the world, but the price for that was being away from her family. She missed seeing everyone's smiling faces. She could close her eyes and picture them.

She was in France. She saw many painters on the side of the street. She almost wanted to take their blank canvases and paints to paint the smiling faces of her family. Then she remembered the first cardinal rule of an artist: portray what you see, not what you know.

She may have been traveling the world, but she only had one home: Los Angeles. She couldn't wait to go home and paint the faces of her family.

(- -)

**(July 4, 2053, Friday)**

In the sleepy village of Kurain, Henry always found something amusing to do. He always was coming up with schemes, each one getting more complex than the last. He liked seeing the place shake up and become much more interesting.

The plot for Fourth of July?

Henry had a stash of fireworks that he had been dying to use.

(- -)

**(November 12, 2052, Tuesday)**

Just like how Nick's second home was the hospital, Anthony's second home was the dentist. He ate so many sweets, much more than anyone believed. Sometimes he had cravings at night so he would sneak into the Mansion's kitchen to steal a cookie here or a slice of pie there.

Most people didn't seem to notice.

Until Anthony developed another cavity, that is.

(- -)

**(June 8, 2051, Thursday)**

Out of the budget for Kurain Village, there was a special portion for just Nick. Nick never got to spend any of the money, but rather, the money was spent for him. It was used to buy bandages and antibiotics for any cuts and scrapes Nick would get.

He thought of each one as a battle scar, a proud achievement that should be displayed with honor.

(- -)

**(September 5, 2055, Sunday)**

Mia and Lily often heard about their Aunt Mia from Maya. The Master talked about her older sister with such affection and pride that they wanted to meet her. One day, they sat across from each other. They were like their mother: prodigies among spirit mediums.

Mia channeled her aunt first. Lily found her to be beautiful and refined, more so than she had heard from Maya and Phoenix. Their Aunt Mia was pleasantly surprised to be channeled by her nieces and meet them physically. She answered all of Lily's questions before she left Mia's body so that Lily could channel her next. Like her sister, Mia was in awe over her aunt. She understood why she was held with high regard.

The twins wondered if they could ever grow up to be like her.

(- -)

**(February 12, 2055, Friday)**

Zak had a penchant for anything that was phenomenal. He loved reading fairy tales, looking at pictures of the different Seven Wonders of the World, his ability of perception, and most of all, his mother's magic tricks. Zak wanted to earn his right to a magician's secrets. He started out with very basic magic tricks. He messed around with card tricks and pulled out coins out of people's ears.

He was still a novice, but he prided in the shock in his mother's face when he made a bouquet of flowers appear and offered them to her.

A magician never reveals his secrets.

* * *

Here we are! The 20th chapter! Cool, huh?

The inspiration of this chapter came from a playlist I have on my iPod, which is titled as "Infinite Happiness." All of the songs on that playlist are songs that make me super happy. All these segments about the individual characters are the times they feeling infinitely happy or moments in their life when they have felt infinitely happy.

You might recognize a lot of the dates. The date for Ema's segment is the first investigation day for Case 4-2. The date for Phoenix's date is the same date that Stella made her debut as a defense attorney, and the month and day is the same as when Phoenix made his debut. The date for Edgeworth and Franziska's segments takes place a day after AAI. The month and day of Maya's part is the same date as when Maya and Phoenix are reunited in Case 2-2. December 10 is when Devlin was born. (After posting Chapter 5, I should have made Devlin's birthday on the 13th. It would have been funny for his birthday to be on Friday the 13th since he has some bad luck from Maggey.) February 19 is when Neil was murdered in the SL-9 incident. The date from Apollo's part is when Diana returns home for Christmas from traveling, as evidenced by her letter to Zak in Chapter 18. April 22 is "bring your kid to work" day. The date from Richard's segment is about two weeks after Chapter 15, so it takes place shortly after Lotte heads back to New York.

Stella's name is Latin and Italian for "star." Her part was inspired by the meaning of the Star Tarot Card.

Richard's part was inspired by _Atonement_ and _Skins_, Season 4, Episode 8. In _Skins_, there is a part where Cook looks through his best friend's notebook. In it, every page was completely filled up with "I love her." It made me think that Freddie really did love Effy after I remembered a scene from _Atonement_. In that scene, Briony mentions to a friend that she once had a crush, and when she told Robbie that she loved him, the feeling felt like it disappeared.

I mentioned Phoenix and Maya's deal to Pearl in "The Parent Trap," and it will be a rather funny, future chapter.

Blackwell Bookstore is a famous bookstore in Oxford for having the largest single room dedicated to book sales in all of Europe. The room is called the Norrington Room.

The essay Lisa writes is a famous essay that was recently discontinued at University of Oxford. You have to write an essay centered on a single noun within in three hours. It may sound simple, but it really isn't. The essay has to sound brilliant without revealing how much BS you wrote. It's supposed to challenge people intellectually.

**IMPORTANT NOTE!**

**Remember, this story goes on a temporary hiatus for about two to three weeks (hopefully not longer) now because I have summer school and need to study. Look forward to the next chapter until then!  
**

Next Chapter: First love never goes perfectly.


	21. Casualty on the Battlefield of Love

(- -)

Chapter 21

Casualty on the Battlefield of Love

**(June 10, 2040, Sunday)**

Devlin threw the car keys to his sister. "Kyra, you're driving."

Kyra sighed, moving away from the passenger door of the car to pick up the keys from the ground. "Is it one of those nights?"

Her brother grinned. "Oh yeah."

"Why do I always have to be the one to drive?"

"Because you don't drink."

On nights like tonight, Devlin, Kyra, Mondo, Stella, and now Luna would get into a car and drive around the city aimlessly. Even though they all were underaged, they managed to sneak bottles of alcohol into the car and drink on their round around the city. Kyra was always the designated driver since she was the most responsible and disliked the taste of alcohol.

Kyra got into the driver's seat. She put on her seatbelt and checked her mirrors before turning on the engine. She drove out of the apartment complex parking lot and to the Marshall household just on the outskirts of the city. The three Marshall kids were waiting on the doorstep.

"We nicked some tequila from dad's bar!" Stella excitedly exclaimed as she got into the car. Luna got in beside her and pulled out two bottles from her purse. Mondo got in afterwards and slammed the door shut.

"Where should we go?" asked Luna.

"Anywhere!" Stella snatched a bottle from her sister and opened it up before taking a drink.

Devlin reached into the back to take the other bottle and drink from it.

"I am _not_ cleaning up anyone's vomit," Kyra reminded coolly.

Mondo laughed. "The joke will be on Devlin!" he said. "This is his car after all!"

"Oh, that's not cool."

(- -)

When both bottles of tequila were both a third gone, Stella and Luna couldn't stop giggling in the backseat. Mondo chuckled slowly as he swayed back and forth in his seat. When he noticed a cell phone backlight, he looked over Devlin's shoulder to see him texting someone.

"Are you texting that chick from your one class?" he asked. "Y'know, the one you like."

Kyra smiled. "He probably is."

"Aw, leave me alone!" said Devlin.

"You should make a move on her," suggested Luna. "It's been a year!"

Stella leaned over and tugged on Devlin's cheek before laughing. "He's just shy!"

Devlin pushed Stella's hand away. "Cut it out!"

"Where does she live?" asked Mondo.

"Across town," answered Kyra. She quickly checked the next lane before moving into it.

"Let's go anyway."

"What are you doing?" asked Devlin when he saw his sister turn into the parking lot of the nearest Walmart.

"We are going to buy flowers so you can give them to her at her house," explained his sister. Her face lit up. "It would be so cute for you to show up at her house, and just hand her the flowers!"

"Aw!" cooed Luna and Stella.

Kyra turned off the engine and got out. Luna safely stowed the tequila bottles in her purse and stumbled out of the car after her sister.

"I…I am not going to do this!" Devlin protested half-heartedly.

Mondo yanked his door open and dragged the older boy out. "You're doing this."

Inside the store, the five of them stared at the selection of flowers.

"What should we buy her?" asked Mondo. "Roses?"

"They're out. Get her lilies!" suggested Luna. "Lilies are just as good."

Kyra and Stella nodded in agreement.

"This isn't necessa—" said Devlin.

"Yes, it is," cut in Mondo. He dragged Devlin to the cash register with the girls and the lilies in hand.

(- -)

"I don't want to do this!" whispered Devlin.

"Tough luck. Go," ordered Stella.

They were all at the house of Devlin's crush. Kyra parked the car behind a bush, out of view. The street was dark with only the street lamps dimly illuminated.

"This is easy," said Kyra. "Just go up to the door, ring the bell, and if she doesn't answer the door, ask for her. When she comes to the door, hand her the flowers and say, "I was thinking about you so I got you these." Then you just leave."

Devlin groaned, anxiety pounding in his gut. He was twenty. He wasn't a lovesick schoolboy anymore. He was a college student. A man. He was going to be a detective. He had to be brave. He nodded. "Okay," he said. "I'm going to do this."

His sister and the Marshall kids clapped excitedly as Devlin got out of the car and strolled up the path of his crush's house.

And so they waited.

Five minutes passed.

Ten minutes passed.

Fifteen minutes passed.

Twenty minutes passed.

Finally, Devlin approached the car with no flowers and his head down.

"You look like your goldfish just died," commented Mondo as Devlin got back in and slammed the door shut.

"What happened?" asked Kyra.

"I got to the door and called her to come outside, but her parents wouldn't let her," explained Devlin. "So I just left the flowers with a note outside the door."

"Aw…" Luna murmured in disappointment.

"_Ooh, denied_," whispered Stella, clamping a hand over her mouth to stop the laugh that was threatening to explode in her throat.

"I'm sorry, man," said Mondo.

Luna took out one of the tequila bottles and handed it to the oldest boy. "Maybe you should throw pebbles at her window and confess from there."

Kyra gasped excitedly. "Oh, be like Romeo and Juliet! I'll help you with the lines!"

"No," spat out Devlin. He unscrewed the cap of the bottle and took a long drink. "Let's just get out of here."

"Oh, please? It would be so romantic!"

"No! I've humiliated myself enough tonight. Let's get out of here!"

Kyra opened her mouth to protest, but quickly shut it. Grudgingly, she turned on the engine of the car.

As she pulled away from the sidewalk, Mondo tapped Devlin on the shoulder and said, "I'll buy you a hamburger, dude."

* * *

Guess who's back? Back again!

Summer school ended last week, but unfortunately, I didn't get the grade I needed to make a B. I was ten points off. TEN POINTS! Talk about rubbish.

Anyway, more bad luck on Devlin's part. His own chapter was supposed to be about his duties as a detective, but I could barely get passed the beginning, and this idea was finalized first. If I ever get the inspiration for it again, I'll definitely write it.

I definitely can see Stella drinking while underage, because if you look in past chapters, she definitely has a soft spot for alcohol.

Next Chapter: Another day of adventure.


	22. Mansion Raid

(- -)

Chapter 22

Mansion Raid

**(April 3, 2056, Monday)**

"Hi!" greeted Trucy when the Mansion doors opened.

"Yay, you're finally here!" exclaimed Pearl, giving Trucy a quick hug. She quickly ushered Trucy, Aidan, and Zak inside. "I'll have some of the trainees bring your bags to a free room."

"Hi!" greeted Maya. She came out of the kitchen holding a tray of tea and sandwiches. She set them down on a table and gestured for the others to join her.

Zak looked around the room. It was quiet. Too quiet. Normally, there was shouting and laughing and the clapping of footsteps on the wooden floor.

"If you're looking for my kids, they're at the bakery," said Pearl, noticing Zak.

"Oh."

"You can go," said Trucy. "You know where it is right? Don't get lost."

Zak nodded. "Okay!"

"Be careful!" Aidan called out at his retreating back.

Zak left the Mansion and ran down the road. The bakery in Kurain Village was only a branch of the Kitaki family muffin business. There was no way Zak could get lost though. The bakery was right down the street. He pulled the door open to see the five Kitaki kids sitting at a table, huddled together.

"What's going on?" asked Zak as he approached them.

Henry was the first to look up and grin. "What we always do."

"Stir up trouble," elaborated Nick.

"Hello Zak," Mia and Lily greeted in unison.

"Actually," said Anthony, "we're planning on going on an adventure."

"What kind of adventure?" asked Zak.

"Ssh!" whispered Henry. He pulled the boy into a chair and whispered, "There's an abandoned mansion at the edge of the village."

"We believe that is where Masters of the Village used to live before building the current Mansion," explained Mia.

"There's bound to be a lot of treasure in there! We're going to go there and explore," said Henry. "We'll go there tomorrow!"

"And no telling anyone," reminded Anthony. "Not a word."

(- -)

**(April 4, 2056, Tuesday)**

After breakfast, Mia and Lily packed up a backpack with sandwiches and a few cupcakes. They met their brothers and Zak at the door and they headed out for the abandoned mansion. It was a good hour walk, but the air was cool and there was a breeze pushing them along.

"Is this it?" asked Nick, as they all reached their desired location.

"It should be," said Henry, looking up at a dilapidated house. The ground was overrun with weeds. Roof tiles were falling off, and the windows were covered with drapes. There was no life to the old mansion.

"What if it's haunted?" asked Lily.

Henry snorted. "That would be even more fun." He smirked at Lily. "Having second thoughts? Come on, don't be chicken."

Lily frowned, moving closer to her twin sister.

Henry led the way, pushing the gate open and up the path. He turned the knob and pushed the door open, but the old hinges gave way instead, causing the door to fall to the ground. Mia and Lily jumped up and let out a small shriek of surprise. Anthony, Nick, and Zak flinched while Henry was unmoved.

He laughed after staring at the door. He turned to his siblings and Zak and said, "Let's go. Come on." He stepped over the fallen door and entered the abandoned mansion. Nick followed after his brother. Anthony hesitated for a moment before heading after his brothers. Mia and Lily were clutching each other and the back of Zak's shirt as they followed suit.

"Looks like junk," commented Henry, surveying the inside.

"It's abandoned," reminded Anthony.

"Whatever. I'm gonna look for something interesting."

Henry quickly left his siblings and Zak in the foyer to climb the stairs. Nick shrugged and went to investigate the rooms on the ground floor.

Anthony glanced at his sisters who were holding onto Zak. He rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he mumbled and began trekking upstairs.

"It's not that bad," said Zak, shaking the two girls off of him.

"It's creepy," they said in unison.

"What if we run into Mystic Ami's spirit while we're here?" asked Lily.

"Isn't she contained in that jar in the Winding Way?"

"Henry breaks that jar at least once a year," said Mia. "I wouldn't be surprised if pieces of her spirit come back here each time the jar breaks!"

"Well, if she decides to haunt us," said Zak, "I'm sure she'll spare you both. She has to keep her successors alive." He began walking up the stairs. Both girls whimpered and ran after him.

Upstairs, they were greeted with a long, dark hallway. The floorboards groaned under their weight with each step. Zak began walking down the hallway, opening each door to examine each room. Mia and Lily slowly kept up behind him, peering over his shoulder to see what was inside. Some rooms were empty. Others had broken down furniture.

There was one room that seemed to draw the two girls in. Inside, there was a lone wardrobe standing against the wall. They went around Zak to go into the room and admire it. It was old and dusty to be sure, but it had a certain charm to it. Lily slowly lifted her hand to pull on the handle.

"You won't find the entrance to Narnia in there," said Anthony.

The girls and Zak turned around to find Anthony leaning against the doorframe. He smirked and pushed himself off of the doorframe and out of sight. Mia and Lily scowled, stomping out of the room.

"This place is a waste of time," said Henry, walking down the hallway. "There's nothing here!"

Anthony sighed. "I expected as much. Why would there be anything valuable here? The Village is especially frugal. And did you forget the fact that this place is abandoned?"

"Yeah, I got it!" snapped Henry. "Let's get out of here."

The floorboards and stairs creaked as they made their way to the ground floor.

"Oh, hey, guys," greeted Nick. His face and clothes were dirtied with soot.

"Why are you dirty?" asked Mia.

"I found something."

"Really?" asked Henry.

Nick held up a bundle of letters. "Yeah. I found these letters behind a brick in the fireplace. I think they're love letters from Mystic Ami's husband."

Henry rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Boring!"

"Oh, not entirely," said Lily. "We can always give these to the Kurain Exhibition at Lordly Tailor."

"I wonder if they're worth anything," mused Zak.

"They're about as worthless as dirt," said Henry.

"That's not true!" snapped Lily. "They have worth to Mystic Ami!"

"And now she's dead."

Lily glowered at her brother. "I hope her spirit haunts you first."

Henry made a face at her before leading the way out of the old mansion. Anthony plunged his hand into Lily's backpack to take out a cupcake. Mia took out her handkerchief and began wiping away the soot from Nick's face. Zak took the letters from Nick and began looking through them.

Contrary to what Henry said, Zak thought it had been a successful adventure.

* * *

Another chapter with the Kitaki kids and Zak. Haha, were you expecting more action and ghosts to appear? The mansion stands as it does: abandoned. Not a lot goes on in there, so you can understand Henry's disappointment.

When you see a giant wardrobe, do you want to open it up and see if it leads to Narnia? I think all kids do that when they're kids. Haha, I'm guilty of it.

Next Chapter: No rules, no fear.


	23. No Rules, No Fear

AN: A new record. Three f-bombs dropped in this chapter. Sorry if it offends anyone. Tell me, and I'll change it.

(- -)

Chapter 23

No Rules, No Fear

**(December 12, 2057, Wednesday)**

If there was anything that Lisa feared, it was to find out that she was being cheated on. So when she saw her fiancé, holding a pillow over himself and that other woman clutching the sheet up to her chest, Lisa didn't know what to do. She wordlessly turned around and left his apartment, that image burning, _etching_ itself in her mind. She heard her fiancé yell something along the lines of, "It's not what it looks like!" She couldn't really remember what she yelled back, if she did, but she was sure it was along the lines of, "Fuck you!"

That was a week ago.

She had spent the next week sleeping on Mondo's couch because she knew that her fiancé was going to camp out in front of her flat to try to explain. (The joke was on him. She changed the locks and didn't replace the hide-a-key with the new one.) She purged his refrigerator of junk food while watching romantic movies.

"You're ruining my carpet," said Mondo, staring at the trash around the couch.

"Shove off," Lisa snapped half-heartedly, throwing pieces of chocolate at the TV.

He put a hand up to her forehead. "Your "woman scorned" fever is starting up."

Lisa shifted to look up at her cousin. "Dr. Marshall, what's a cure for a broken heart?"

"Time."

"Fuck time." Lisa vigorously threw another chocolate when the protagonist appeared on the screen. "What about cheating bastards?"

"Annihilation."

She gave him a faint smile. "I like that."

"You should go to work. It's been a week."

"I remember," said Lisa, "when Mom found out about Dad's affair. She was just like this. Exhausted. Red eyes. She spent a week in bed, eating Snackoos and reading novels. I could see it. It really hurt her." She buried her face in her pillow. Mondo leaned in closer to hear her mumbling. "I know people say that I'm like Mom, but this is ridiculous."

Mondo gave her a soft pat on the back. "I have to go to work, but I'll check up on you on my lunch break. I'll buy you a fresh pint of ice cream."

Lisa lifted herself up and wiped away the tears from her face. "Don't bother. I'm going to get up today." She smiled weakly. "I'm going to have a bonfire."

He pulled her into a tight hug. "Have fun."

(- -)

If Lisa had to name a traumatic experience in the twenty-nine years of her life, she would name her parents' almost divorce as number one. In a heartbeat, she overheard the end of a marriage, the breaking of her mother's heart, and her father's stupidity – all from the top of the stairs. Since then, she had zero tolerance for cheaters. It ruined people, and she had a first hand account of it.

When Lisa returned to her flat, she was relieved to see that her soon to be ex-fiancé was not camped out in front of her door. Inside, she gathered up all of his belongings, stuff that he left when he stayed over at her place. She ripped out a photograph of them together and wrote, "Fuck off and die" on the back of it in red Sharpie. Lisa stared down at the diamond ring on her left hand before taping it to the picture.

She was starting to put the boxes of her ex-fiancé's stuff into the car when she heard, "Lisa?"

Lisa looked up to see Alec Thomas. She averted her eyes to the ground, feeling a stab of guilt inside of her. Just last year, Ethereal Cosmetics finally paid off their debt to Alec. By then, Lisa had found that her father was right. Alec tore down every wall she put up. She hesitantly accepted his plea for a date for Saturday night. She found it to be an enjoyable three months until she ended it. Since then, she hadn't seen him. The last she heard, he had gone up to Scotland.

"Hi Alec," she greeted softly.

"What going on?" he asked, eyeing the boxes. "Moving?"

"Going to start a bonfire," she joked.

"Sounds exciting." He glanced up at her face, a smile on his face. He reached up to brush a stray hair out of her eyes. She flinched slightly but allowed him to touch her. She felt that same jolt in her body like she did last year. "It looks like you have a lot on her shoulders."

She laughed weakly, showing him the photograph with the ring taped to it and the words on the back. She threw it into the box and slammed the trunk door close.

He pulled her along with him and said, "Come on. Let's take a walk."

(- -)

The park was empty, just like the branches of the trees. Alec and Lisa seated themselves on a bench with only each other and air to hear their conversation.

"So you ended it, just like that?"

Lisa nodded.

"Why?"

"I hate cheaters," she said. "My dad cheated on my mom once. He fell for some gold-digging spritzer girl who worked at Saks Fifth Avenue. And he was willing to throw everything away for her. I watched my mom cry her eyes out because she was so hurt by what he did. If my sister and I didn't intervene, our family would have been ripped apart. My dad would have taken Lotte to New York and I would've had to stay in LA with my mom. I love my dad, but I hate him for what he did to her. Cheating ruins people. It ruins relationships and tears them apart! I hate that!"

"What's stopping you from taking him back? Your mother took your father back, didn't she?" asked Alec.

"But only because my sister and I and the rest of our family made him realize what he was doing."

"Then why not take him back?"

"Because I don't want to. I love him still, but this is the absolute limit," she answered. She sniffed and rubbed the tears that were starting to form. "I don't have to take him back. We're not married. We don't have kids. We're not hurting anyone. The only one who's gotten hurt is me."

Alec looked at the barren trees. "You're not the only one who's gotten hurt from unfaithful lovers." Lisa glanced at him. The cold look in his eyes chilled her more than the weather. "My parents cheat on each other all the time."

She blinked. "That can't be right. Your parents are happy."

"No, they're not. Their relationship is one, big lie. They were kids of rivaling companies, but my grandparents arranged a marriage between them to solidify the merge of the two companies," explained Alec. "After the marriage, they had Adam, then me. Our family. It was a joke, a complete farce. That's all it was: pretending to be a happy family, pretending to love each other.

"In truth, my parents don't give two shits about Adam and me. They don't love each other, and they don't care about us. They sleep in separate bedrooms and have sex with different people on a daily basis, but they turn a blind eye to each other's indiscretions. They have this unspoken deal that they can do whatever they want behind the scenes as long as they keep up this charade of loving each other in public."

Lisa reached over and clasped his hand. She gave it a tight squeeze. "I'm sorry…"

"Do you know what my holidays were like? On Christmas, my parents would hold extravagant parties for their friends and coworkers. They made us act like the perfect family. We never got presents either. They just threw money at us and told us to buy whatever we wanted."

She squeezed his hand again. "You never knew what a real family is like."

"The servants in our house were more of a family to us than our parents, but still…"

"I'm going back home to the States for Christmas next week for a couple of days," Lisa said quietly. "Why don't you come with me?" Alec glanced at her, his cold expression gone and replaced with surprise. "Just as friends, of course," she added quickly. "You could get a taste of what a real family is like."

"I'd like that," he answered.

They smiled and sat on the bench for a little while longer.

(- -)

**(December 21, 2057, Friday)**

With a click, the front door opened. "I'm home!" announced Lisa, dragging her luggage inside. She was greeted by the sensation of a heated oven. She dropped her bags in the living room as Alec followed after her. Lisa noticed her sister and Richard on the couch by a crib.

"You're home early!" exclaimed Lotte. She nudged her husband. "Richard, help me up." Her husband got up to pull his wife to her feet. It was evident by the swollen bump on her stomach that she had trouble getting around. Lotte quickly gave her sister a hug and a kiss.

"I caught an earlier flight home," said Lisa. She stepped aside to pull Alec towards her sister and brother-in-law. "You remember Alec, don't you?"

"We couldn't have forgotten," Richard remarked with an additional smirk aimed at Lisa. She mouthed a curse in German at him. He shook hands with Alec. "Good to see you again."

"Same."

"Welcome to the Gavin household," greeted Lotte.

"So you dump your fiancé and now you have a new beau?" Richard whispered to Lisa. "It's been two weeks. You move fast."

"It's not like that," she hissed. "We're just friends."

He cocked an amused smile. "Right and I'm the perfect son to my parents."

"I'm telling the truth." Lisa quickly scanned the room. "Where are Mom and Dad?"

"Work," answered Lotte. "Crime never stops. They'll be late tonight."

"Aunt Trucy also asked us to watch Zak," added Richard.

"You have your own home. How come you're not there?" asked Lisa.

"We were fixing up the place a bit. After all, this year's Christmas will be held here."

Lisa's eyes wandered to the crib and moved past her sister. Her face lit up when she peered inside. "Aw, they're even more adorable than when I saw them in the hospital!" She beamed. "Alec, come here. Meet my nephews, William Miles Edgeworth and James Klavier Edgeworth!"

Alec sidled up next to Lisa and looked into the crib before glancing at Lotte. There were two baby boys inside. They were awake, patiently looking up at Alec and Lisa. Their hair was only peach fuzz, showing tinges of Richard's black hair instead of Lotte's brown; however, they both had Lotte's azure eyes. "You had twins. Congratulations."

Lotte put her hands on her stomach and smiled. "I have another pair coming, too."

"Congratulations again."

"Wait, don't tell me," said Lisa. She pointed to the baby boy on the left and said, "This one is Will, and the other is James."

"Yup," answered Richard.

Lisa reached into the crib and gently lifted William into her arms. She bounced her nephew gently as he cooed. "Oh, look, he has our eyes…"

"Richard named them," Lotte said to Alec. "Because he was named after a king of England, he named the boys after other kings."

"They were good names," defended Richard.

Alec laughed. "Clever. Have you decided what you were going to name your next pair?"

"Not yet, but I know they're girls so I get to name them," said Lotte.

"You should name them after queens of England," suggested Richard.

"Queens of England? What were the names of the queens of England?" she asked.

"Well, it depends," said Lisa. "Do you mean the queens who were married to kings who've ruled or queens who have inherited the throne and ruled?"

"Well, if we're talking about queens who have ruled," explained Alec, "then there was Mary I, Elizabeth I, Mary II—"

"—Anne, Victoria, and Elizabeth II," finished Lisa. "What about the wives of kings? It all depends on how far back we're going."

"There are too many monarchs of England before 1603 to list all of their wives," added Alec.

"And some never married at all."

Lotte rolled her eyes and sighed. "I swear, you Oxford Summa Cum Laude graduates are too smart for your own good."

Lisa laughed. "Excuse me, _I_ was the Summa Cum Laude graduate. Alec graduated Magna Cum Laude."

"Tosser," murmured Alec.

Lisa stuck out her tongue at him. "It's not my fault you spent most of your time partying and playing soccer."

"Football," he corrected.

"We're in America. It's soccer here."

"But in any case, you must be exceptionally lucky to be having another set of twins, Lotte."

"Huh? But I thought that because I'm a twin, I have an increased chance of bearing twins," said Lotte.

"That's not right," said Lisa. "Identical twins have the same chance as any woman to bear twins. It's about a .6% chance. It increases to 10% for fraternal twin mothers because of hyperovulation. In addition, the chance of a woman bearing another set of twins is 5%."

"It all comes down to luck," said Richard. "Maybe my swimmers are just that good."

Lisa rolled her eyes as Alec laughed. "Your swimmers have nothing to do with having twins. It depends on if the mother releases two eggs during ovulation or if the zygote splits into two embryos."

"Mm…" mumbled Lotte. "Eggs sound nice right now."

Lisa frowned and rolled her eyes. "Pregnant women and they crazy cravings…" she said under her breath.

Lotte pretended not to hear. William began squirming and crying softly in Lisa's arms.

"Oh no! What did I do?" asked Lisa. She sniffed the air. "Oh. Yeah. He needs to be changed."

"I'll do it. Give him here," said Richard, taking the boy from his aunt and going into the bathroom.

Lotte waddled her way to the kitchen, almost crashing into Zak who was running out of it.

"Oh, sorry, Lotte!" he replied.

"Be careful, Zak!"

"Lisa!" Zak ran up to her, and she quickly picked him up and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Hi Zak! How are you?"

"Great!"

"Have you been a good boy this year?" asked Lisa.

Zak nodded. "Yup!"

Lisa smiled. "Good. I got you something, but you'll have to wait until Christmas to open it up." She set him down. "Oof. You're getting too big for me to carry you now." She ruffled his black hair affectionately. "Zak, this is my friend Alec. Alec, this is Zak Wright-Nadia, my Aunt Trucy's son."

"Hello," greeted Alec.

Zak smiled at Alec. He looked between him and Lisa several times before saying to Lisa, "He likes you."

"Zak!" yelled Lisa, her cheeks heating up.

The young boy snickered. "Mr. Alec, Mr. Alec, can I tell you a secret?" He gestured for Alec to lend him an ear. He glanced at Lisa and said, "You're not allowed to hear this."

She rolled her eyes and turned around, cupping her hands over her ears.

Zak leaned in and whispered in Alec's ear, "I think Lisa likes you, too."

Alec smirked. "Oh, really?"

The boy nodded vigorously.

Even though she had her hands over her ears, Lisa could still hear their muffled voices. She couldn't help but feel the clash of burning chagrin and the cold shower of shame running down her body. "Are you done yet?" she asked.

"Yes."

Lisa turned around to see both Alec and Zak smiling.

"Oh, Mr. Alec, you have something behind your ear," said Zak. He reached behind Alec's head and withdrew a nickel.

Alec laughed. "Anything bigger back there?"

"Hm…" He reached behind Alec's head again but came back empty handed. "I guess I lost it." Zak sneezed and held up an egg in his hands. "Oh, here it is!"

"Huh? Weren't there four eggs left in this carton?" Lotte asked from the kitchen.

"Uh oh…"

"You better go return that, Zak," suggested Lisa. The boy quickly ran back into the kitchen. Lisa chuckled. "He's so adorable." She turned to Alec and smiled. "It's getting late. Do you want me to take you to the hotel?"

"Nah. We can go later. I want to meet your parents first."

(- -)

Lisa lost track of how much time passed as she and Alec waited for Ema and Klavier to get home. Trucy swung by to pick up Zak, and Lisa introduced Alec and Mrs. Wright-Nadia. Trucy found him to be charming, similar to how Klavier was when she first met him. And like her son, she noticed the way Alec glanced at Lisa. She kept her mouth shut, however.

In the following hours, they played with baby William and baby James. Lisa was certain that the boys had a keen eye just like their father. When she held James on her lap, he smiled brightly at her, but when she passed him onto Lotte, his smile grew even wider. Even though she and Lotte had the same face, he could tell who his real mother was. It was a marvel that even Lisa couldn't explain.

"All I'm saying is, think about it!" said Ema as she clambered into her living room from the laundry room. "There's something fishy about her!"

"She has an alibi," reasoned Klavier from behind his wife, "and it checks out."

"It still sounds fishy. She's hiding something—oh." Ema noticed the little group gathered in her living room.

Lisa happily got up from the couch and ran to kiss her parents. "Hi Mom! Hi Daddy!"

"Lisa! You're home early!" exclaimed Ema, embracing her youngest daughter.

"Yeah."

Ema smiled and put a hand up to Lisa's forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Getting better."

Klavier kissed his daughter's temple. "Just say the word and we'll get the .45 and the shovel." Ema nodded in agreement.

"I already caused a fire with the stuff he gave me," said Lisa. "It was quite invigorating." She turned to Alec and smiled. "Wasn't it?"

"It was," said Alec.

"Oh, right. I brought a friend home for Christmas. This is Alec Thomas. Alec, these are my parents, Klavier and Ema Gavin."

Alec promptly got up and shook hands with the two. Ema and Klavier eyed him curiously, but he and Lisa didn't notice. "Pleased to meet you."

"So where from the UK are you from?" asked Ema.

"I was born in London, but my family and I moved over to Oxford when I was seven."

Klavier tapped Lisa on the shoulder and gestured her over to the kitchen. He flicked on the light and opened up the refrigerator, looking over its content.

"What's up, Dad?" said Lisa.

"Is this the same boy you told me about several years ago?" asked Klavier. "The one who chased after you."

Lisa squirmed in place. "Yes, but how did you know? I never told you his name."

Klavier grinned. "When a person's _in_ love, everyone can tell." He took out the Tupperware full of macaroni salad. He pried the cover off and began digging in with a fork, leaning against the counter. "Did he ever catch you? Because it looks like he's back to the chase."

The blood rushed up to Lisa's cheeks, making her feel a little light headed. "For about three months."

"Then what ended it?"

She turned her eyes to the floor, pretending to admire her shoes. "Fear…"

"Fear of what?"

"Getting my heart broken. Turning out like you and Mom." Lisa leaned against the counter, using her hands for support. "Alec didn't break my heart, but what I feared he would do happened to me anyway. It just wasn't him who did it. And it doesn't change the fact that I still feel like shit right now."

Behind all the knowledge stored in her head, her heart was very insecure. She always had that fear of being hurt. She didn't want to pick up the pieces and bandage her heart back together, only for it to be broken again. She wanted that fairytale romance where everything would be perfect. She grew up around that most of her life. Edgeworth and Franziska, Lana and Jake, Maggey and Gumshoe, Pearl and Wocky, Apollo and Vera, Trucy and Aidan…they were all so happy that Lisa thought it was unreal at times. It was obvious that they fought time to time, but it was never really serious. In the end, they still unconditionally loved each other. It was no wonder that when her parents were on the verge of breaking up, her idea of a fairytale romance was shattered. It was enough to cause a rift in her heart, filling it up with fear, the one thing that inhibited her from finding what she was looking for.

So when it came to love, she played it safe. She chose boyfriends who she thought would never break her heart. The drawback to it was that she never felt the passion that she so commonly saw throughout her life. Now she found it to be ironic. The thing she was guarding against happened to her because she was playing it safe.

Klavier set down the macaroni salad to pull his daughter into an embrace. "What is love without heartbreak? What is heartbreak without love? If you're always so guarded, you won't find the love you're looking for. You need to loosen the breaks and go downhill. That exhilaration…that's what love feels like. No rules, no fear. I know you're in pain right now, but things will get better after they are at its worst."

"No rules, no fear…" Lisa repeated slowly.

"That's right. There may be rules to dating, but there aren't any rules when it comes to love." Klavier kissed Lisa's forehead and released her, picking up the macaroni salad again.

Alec appeared at the doorway of the kitchen. "Hey Lisa, it's kind of late. Can you take me to the hotel now?"

_No rules, no fear._

"Yeah, sure…" Lisa forced her body to move from the spot she was rooted to.

Klavier fished a hand in his pocket and withdrew a set of keys and threw it to his daughter. "Here. Take your Mom's car."

"Thanks." She caught the keys as Alec disappeared to get his bags from the living room. Lisa stopped halfway through the door when she turned back to Klavier. "Oh, and for the record Dad," she began, "I still hate you for what you did to Mom."

Klavier gave her a small smile. "I know," he said. "I hate myself for what I did, too."

(- -)

**(December 22, 2057, Saturday)**

"I rather like your family," said Alec. "They're more interesting and fun than my parents."

Lisa smiled at him. "Of course they are." She laughed. "Besides, you only met a small portion of my family last night. We've only just begun."

That day, Lisa was going to take Alec to the Wright Anything Agency to introduce him to the other members of her big family. Afterwards, she was going to take him to the Prosecutor's Office to let him meet Edgeworth, Franziska, and Maggey and then the precinct to meet Devlin. It was quite a long way to go by taxi so Lisa decided to use the car she and Lotte used to share when they were in high school.

"You really love your family, don't you?"

Lisa beamed. "Of course. My family is amazing."

Alec smiled back at her. "Then I'm jealous."

Lisa parked the car and led Alec inside the building. When she pushed the door open, she found Stella and Apollo hard at work at their desks. Vera was sitting on the couch, sketching.

"Hello, hello!" she greeted.

"I heard you came home early," said Stella, getting up from her desk to hug her cousin. "Nice seeing you again, Alec."

Alec shook hands with her. "Nice to see you, too, Stella."

"How's your brother?"

"Good. He's in Ireland."

Lisa pointed to Apollo and Vera. "This is Apollo and Vera Justice. They're both my godparents. Apollo is Aunt Trucy's older brother," she introduced. "Uncle Polly, Auntie Vera, this is my friend Alec Thomas." After Alec shook hands with them, Lisa said, "Uncle Polly is a defense attorney. Auntie Vera is an artist. They have a daughter named Diana. She's Zak's cousin."

"Diana sends her love and Christmas presents from South America," said Apollo.

"I already know what I got," said Stella with a grin. "I'm drinking it Christmas Day."

"Diana left to travel the world after high school," explained Lisa. "She comes back home every once in a while. Right now, she's in South America."

"It's a shame I can't meet her," said Alec.

"If you come back next year, you might catch her," said Vera.

"Oh ho, I have a good feeling he'll definitely be back next year," Stella mumbled under her breath with a sly smirk. Lisa was the only one who heard her. Stella winked at her cousin before chuckling. "When's my stupid brother coming back?"

"Tomorrow, most likely," said Phoenix, coming out of his office. "Hi Lisa. Is this a new client?"

"Oh no," laughed Lisa. "This is my friend, Alec Thomas. Alec, this is Phoenix Wright, the big boss of the Wright Anything Agency."

"Nice to meet you," said Alec, offering his hand.

"Likewise," said Phoenix, taking it with a firm grip. "If ever you need anything, please be sure to contact us to see what we can do to help."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Ooookay," said Lisa, steering Alec towards the door. "We have places to be and people for him to meet."

"It was a pleasure meeting all of you," said Alec.

"By the way, where's Richard?"

"Courthouse," answered Apollo. "He's in trial against your dad."

Lisa's eyes lit up. "Ooh! We're going there next. Come on, Alec! See you later!"

Once Lisa had dragged Alec outside and the door was safely shut, Phoenix said, "Apollo, call Pearls and tell her to come down here sooner."

Apollo picked up the phone. "What for?"

"We're going to need her matchmaking skills."

"She'll charge you," said Vera.

"I don't care. Someone needs to get those two together."

Stella laughed. "Seriously."

"You should leave them be," said Vera. She inclined her head to the door. "They don't need help. They're a lot closer than you think."

(- -)

Alec groaned and leaned on Lisa's shoulder. Lisa laughed and asked, "Are you tired?"

"Your family is ridiculous."

"Ha! Ridiculously amazing!" she corrected.

They had gone to the courthouse where Alec met Lana and Devlin, the latter testifying in the trial where Klavier was the prosecutor and Richard was the defense. It was the first time Lisa got to see Richard in court. He was just as fearsome as his father, but he worked on the side of the defense. However, Klavier was just as formidable. Just because Richard was his son-in-law didn't mean he was going to go easy on him.

They then went to the Prosecutor's Office. Alec met Franziska, Maggey, and Gumshoe there. Lisa had warned him about how to speak to Franziska. Alec chose his words carefully, not wanting to be whipped. He did witness her ferocity when she whipped Gumshoe for a comment he made about her age. Franziska narrowly missed Lisa when she said it wasn't right for her to whip a seventy year old retired detective. Alec only smiled and pulled Lisa out the door with him.

Afterwards, they went to a department store to have lunch. There was a café that Lisa really liked and she wanted eat there. Now they were sitting on a bench, watching housewives trying to get the best deals.

"You're so lucky," said Alec, "to have such a big family."

"Never a dull moment."

"I'm looking forward to the food on Christmas. I've never had a home cooked meal before. My mum doesn't know how to cook and makes a chef cook every meal."

"Aw!" Lisa put a hand to his forehead. "You've been deprived."

"Indeed, I have."

"What do you want to do next?"

"I want to look around a bit, if that's all right with you," he said. "How about we start from the first floor and work our way up."

"That's fine."

They got up from the bench and got into the elevator. It was deserted except for them. There was a catchy elevator song playing. Lisa couldn't contain her grin as she looked up at the different corners. Spotting a security camera in one, she grinned and waved. She giggled and began to dance a little in tune to the music.

She laughed and said, "I love elevator music."

Alec grinned and grabbed Lisa's hand and twirled her around before pulling her into his arms. They settled into a waltz in the small confines of the empty elevator. Lisa's smile only grew wider as they danced in perfect harmony.

_DING!_

They froze when they saw a group of housewives staring at them when the door opened. They released each other and retreated to a corner of the elevator to make room for the other occupants. Alec wrapped his arms around Lisa's waist and pulled her closer. He rested his chin on the top of her head, a smirk playing at his lips. Lisa lowered her head slightly, hiding her smile behind a curtain of brown hair.

The doors opened again and the housewives began to leave.

"It must be nice to be young and in love again," said one housewife.

"These kids sure have it easy," said another.

"They can just hold each other in public."

As the doors closed once more, Lisa chuckled and sighed. Her heart felt much lighter than it had ever been. Alec kept his arms around her and began swaying side to side. Lisa softly hummed to the song. She felt like she was floating on a cloud.

They felt like two pieces of a puzzle.

A perfect fit.

(- -)

**(December 25, 2057, Tuesday)**

Alec took one glance at Lisa before releasing the door.

"Hey! Wait!" she yelled. She grabbed the door and yanked it open.

Alec barely put a fight as he trudged back to his bed and collapsed on it. "It's early…" he mumbled. He caught a glimpse of the red numbers on the clock. It was seven in the morning.

"Oh, come on! Breakfast starts at nine!" said Lisa. She hovered over him slightly and poked him in the side.

He flinched. "That's in two hours."

"I know, but I remember that you're like a girl when you have to get ready."

"I like looking good," he grumbled.

Lisa laughed, ruffling his messy black hair. "You're a gold personality. Come on, get up."

Alec turned over and held up his hands.

She narrowed her eyes and cocked her head to the side. "Child…"

He grinned. She took his hands in hers and pulled him up with all her might. When he was standing, he towered over. She looked up at him, hands on her hips. "You have an hour and a half to get ready. I will drag you out the door at 8:30, whether you're ready or not," she said.

"Why such a strict schedule?"

"I will not tolerate Anthony eating all of the pancakes before I have chance to have some!"

Alec blinked for a moment before bursting out laughing. "I can't believe you'd get worked up over a bunch of pancakes!"

"It's not funny!" yelled Lisa. She stomped her foot. "I didn't get to have any last year because Anthony and a pregnant Lotte finished it all!"

Alec started laughing harder.

With a frustrated growl, she pushed him towards the bathroom. "Go get ready, you fop!"

When she saw to it that Alec was in the bathroom, Lisa pulled open the drapes. The sun was starting to rise. She pulled up a chair to the wide window and sat down, watching the sun peek between the tall buildings. There were flecks of snow falling, but Lisa knew they wouldn't last long. She leaned forward and blew on the glass. A patch of condensation appeared. She drew a heart inside of it. She watched it slowly fade.

_No rules, no fear._

She decided to take her father's advice when she was with Alec. It was the most fun she had had in a very long time. Was this what it was like to loosen the brakes and go downhill? The last time she felt like this was when they had dated last year. Fear seeped in and she applied the brakes, stopping her descent. It was a mistake. To find love, she had to risk her heart, but still maintain some sense. Introducing him to the members of her family, dancing in an elevator, holding each other, and smiling like the feeling was never going to fade…all of it felt wonderful.

"I'm ready," said Alec.

Lisa turned her head to see Alec showered and dressed, ready to go. She had been so immersed in her own thoughts that she didn't realize that an hour had passed. She reached into her pocket and withdrew a wrapped box and got up.

"Um…I know this isn't much, but…Merry Christmas." She placed the box in his hands and waited for him to open it up. He surveyed the wrapping for a moment before tearing it open. "It was kind of last minute, and I wasn't quite sure what to engrave on it…"

Alec opened the box. Inside, his eyes saw the bright, silvery gleam of a Rolex watch. "Wow…"

Lisa wasn't sure what to give him for Christmas. She usually asked people what they wanted, but she wanted Alec's present to be a surprise. He had said that he never had a proper Christmas complete with presents. He only had money given to him in order buy what he really wanted.

Since she was a little girl, she had always thought that a Rolex watch was the perfect gift for a guy. Considering their price, it would be a great gift for the average male. Alec probably already had a Rolex, but it was one he bought with his parents' money. Her Rolex was one from the heart.

"I love it," he murmured. "Thank you."

He leaned down and softly kissed her on the cheek. He lingered longer than he was supposed to. Lisa shyly looked up, their eyes meeting. His gaze alone made her heart speed up. She was riding so fast downhill.

_No rules, no fear._

She cupped his face and closed the small distance between their lips. She felt the passion from both their hearts envelope her just like the way a person embraced their lover after a long time apart. With the watch in one hand, Alec wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her against his body. They melded together perfectly as if they were made for each other.

Their breaths came out in soft spurts as their foreheads lightly touched each other.

Alec stared into Lisa's azure eyes for a minute. "You look like you want to say something…" he said quietly.

She apologized silently in her head. She had to apply the brakes a little bit, but she was still moving down that hill. "I…I don't want you to be a rebound…"

"Then I'll wait."

"Is that okay?"

"It won't matter," he answered. "I've waited to have you for a long time. A little while longer won't kill me."

She felt herself go weak at the knees. She chuckled softly. "You're too good to me."

"I love you," he corrected. "I'm supposed to be good to you."

She chuckled again. "Why do you love me?"

Alec pressed his lips to her forehead. "You're beautiful. Smart. Accomplished. Fiery. Sweet." He kissed her again before adding, "And above all else…it's just you. Great Britain doesn't make girls like you."

Lisa smiled and gently caressed his cheek. "Kiss me again when I've gotten my wish."

He nodded. "I'll know."

She tugged on his hand. "Come on. We don't want to lose those pancakes to a kid's sweet tooth or a pregnant lady."

"Wait a minute." Alec took out the Rolex watch from its box and slipped it onto his wrist. He threw the box on the bed and slipped his hand into Lisa's.

They left the hotel room hand in hand, their hearts still feeling the exhilaration of going downhill.

* * *

Hum, I believe that when I wrote Chapter 18, I was unsure how to conclude Lisa and Alec's relationship. It turned out this way, and I was rather happy about it.

You might recall the very first chapter of "The Parent Trap." When Ema and Klavier are fighting in the kitchen, one of the twins was upstairs, listening to everything. She later goes to sleep in her sister's room. I never mentioned which twin it was, but it was Lisa all along.

After setting the date and year, I got curious about the ages of the characters so I did the math. Gumshoe is seventy! Lana is sixty-nine! Jake is seventy-three! They're so _old_! So it makes sense that Gumshoe would be retired from the force at his age. I mean, if you've played AAI, then you know that Detective Badd retires when he's sixty, though there was another reason for that. But still, Gumshoe gets whipped even when he's retired. Poor Gumshoe.

I had always thought that the events from "The Parent Trap" would have its consequences on characters, even though it turned out to have a happy ending. Lisa became the victim of it.

Lotte and Richard's kids are William Miles Edgeworth and James Klavier Edgeworth. William (Will for short) and James are named after Kings of England. Their middle names come from their grandfathers, of course. It follows the tradition of how Richard was named. He was named after a King of England and his middle name comes from his grandfather (Gregory). And for the record, the boys' twin sisters were going to be named Aurora Fleur Edgeworth and Alexandra Adelaide Edgeworth.

I don't think that University of Oxford uses Latin Honors. The British grading system is different from the colleges in America, but oh well. I like the Latin Honors. _Summa cum laude_ is Latin for "with highest honor." _Magna cum laude_ is Latin for "with great honor." _Cum laude_ is Latin for "with honor." However, you actually have to be enrolled in Honors College at a university in order to receive one of these three honors. It doesn't matter if you have a 4.0. You have to be in Honors college.

For a very long time, I thought that if you are a twin, you would have a better chance of conceiving twins. However, this is only true for fraternal twins. I did my research and found that this is because of hyperovulation, when a woman produces more than one egg during ovulation. Identical twin mothers have the same chance of having twins as any other woman. Studies have shown that after a woman has had a set of twins, there is a 5% chance of her conceiving another pair, so Lotte is actually very lucky to have two sets of twins.

Zak is still an adorable kid. I think I've forgotten to add the "Wright" part to his surname for several chapters. His full name is Zak Phoenix Wright-Nadia. It's a mouthful. The reason is because Phoenix doesn't have any sons, and Trucy wanted to pass on his last name, so she only formally added "Nadia" to her last name. It'll be up to Zak which name he wants to keep.

It's nice to know that Klavier is keeping up with his previous threat with the .45 and the shovel. I love how Ema nods in agreement with it. Great parents. -thumbs up-

"No rules, no fear" actually comes _The Jane Austen Book Club_ movie. Hugh Dancy talks about how love is like releasing the breaks and going downhill. He also explains about how he views Marianne Dashwood's (from _Sense and Sensibility_ by Jane Austen) approach to love. He says that she is not afraid to risk her heart. "No rules, no fear."

The part where Alec and Lisa dance in the elevator to the elevator music is a favorite. The song I had in mind when writing it is "One Sugar Dream" by M-flo. Seriously, go listen to it. The tune is so freaking catchy. If I heard that song in an elevator, I would want to waltz with someone, too.

When I was a kid, I used to think that a Rolex watch was the best gift you could give a guy. They're reeeeeally expensive so I think any guy would be grateful to be given one. I'm sure price was really no problem for Lisa though. She's super rich in Europe, remember?

The date when Alec and Lisa first meet is October 2047. It's now December 2057. Alec must really love Lisa to keep waiting and trying to court Lisa.

That's all for now!

Next Chapter: There was a sense of knowing you were in love.


	24. Senses

(- -)

Chapter 24

Senses

**(October 14, 2047, Monday)**

Alec had only glanced at Lisa once when he entered his classroom, but in that one glance, he knew she was interesting. He could tell that she was not like any of the other girls he had encountered. She stood out from the very beginning.

She was tanner than any of the other girls, and her uniform only made her skin seem darker. Her white blouse and black skirt had no creases. She had nice, long legs neatly crossed over each other as they peeked out from her skirt. Her posture was impeccable. She sat up straight with her shoulders back and her head raised up high. Against the darkness of her skin, he noticed how much her blue eyes stood out.

Those eyes…

It was a widely known fact that water conducted electricity. He could see the bright sparks in her ocean like eyes as she excitedly skimmed her textbook. When he spoke to her, he could see a fire that even the deepest ocean could not extinguish. She was witty and fierce, just like he had hoped.

And since that moment he first laid eyes on her, he had started falling in love with her.

(- -)

**(August 18, 2054, Tuesday)**

Sometimes Richard thought of himself as a bloodhound. If Diana was good with her sense of sight, then he was good with his sense of smell. It was easy to pick up certain scents and discern what they were.

So that particular morning, he woke up to the sweetest smell. He could smell it in the sheets and in the bathroom as he brushed his teeth. He could smell it getting stronger when he went out into the kitchen. It stood out the most among the oil and eggs.

He wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and buried his nose in her hair. "You smell _amazing_," he whispered.

Lotte smiled and chuckled. "I'm not wearing any perfume."

"You smell _amazing_," he repeated.

(- -)

**(February 8, 2041, Friday)**

Aidan thought Trucy was every bit of charming as people made her out to be. She still had a sense of childlike naivety, but she was quite cheerful and sweet. He had to interview her for the newspaper he worked for. Trucy Wright had worked at the Wonder Bar for years and occasionally at the Sunshine Coliseum for bigger shows. Every show was never the same.

He went to interview Trucy at a coffee shop. He ordered a cup of coffee while she had an iced tea. When their drinks arrived, Trucy asked him how he liked his coffee.

"With sugar," he replied.

With a smile, Trucy whipped out her magic wand. She tapped the cup several times and drew an invisible circle before tapping the cup one last time. She pushed the cup towards him and nodded for him to take a sip. Aidan lifted the coffee to his lips. It had the right amount of sugar to it. It tasted just how he liked it.

"How did you do that?" he asked.

Trucy grinned. "Magic!"

He just had to ask her out.

(- -)

**(December 18, 2020, Friday)**

When Lana closed her eyes, she could hear individual sounds. Voices. Birds chirping. The clinking of tableware. The clapping of shoes on the pavement. The scratching of a pen on a pad of paper. The turning of a page. Tires screeching on the road.

Then she heard the sound of boots on the pavement, spurs rattling in unison. Lana felt her heart freeze for the briefest of moments. Part of her hoped it was _him_. If it was, she wished he would notice her, but the other part of her heart hoped he didn't see her. How could she face him after what happened?

"Howdy, Ma'am."

It really was him. She could recognize his low, husky voice anywhere. It was enough to make her go swoon. She opened her eyes to see Jake Marshall standing above her, his hat pressed to his chest and bowing slightly.

She felt like how she did when she first met him: head over heels in love. She smiled at him and in her best Old Western accent, she said, "Howdy, Cowboy."

Little did Lana know that once Jake heard those words come out of her mouth, he was head over heels in love with _her_.

(- -)

**(August 6, 2022, Saturday)**

Those who knew Franziska von Karma knew that her touch felt like a snake bite when on the receiving end of her whip. Edgeworth knew better. She had the softest hands underneath those thin leather gloves.

It was one of the hottest days of the year, and the air conditioner was off due to maintenance. A few of Franziska's files were sent to Edgeworth's office by mistake. He took them to her office, desperate to escape the hot confines of his office. It felt good to walk and feel the breeze of his movement against the beads of sweat on his neck.

When he opened the door to Franziska's office, his eyes were met with mayhem. Franziska's normally tidy office looked like it had been attacked by a whirlwind. Papers were strewn across the floor. The couch cushions were turned over. Books occupied every inch of table surfaces.

Through the messiness of the room, Franziska was a mess herself. Even the heat took its toll on her. She had taken off her vest and flung it on the couch. She had undone her cravat and the turquoise brooch from her neck and flung those two onto her desk. Her white dress shirt was buttoned to allow her to breathe more freely. Her sleeves were rolled up and her leather gloves were nowhere to be seen, revealing her creamy white arms.

When she saw Edgeworth in her office, she turned red from embarrassment and threw a scathing remark his way. Edgeworth kept his cool in the heat and dropped her case files onto her desk and asked her if she had overturned her office looking for those papers. She simply stuck her nose in the air and asked him to leave so she could tidy up her office. If he didn't, he would have to face the wrath of her whip…if she could find it. He smirked and left to comply with her wishes. He was heading towards the door when she screamed:

"Miles Edgeworth!"

He felt something heavy crash onto his head. When he came to, he was on the cold tile of the floor. His head was throbbing, but he felt softest pair of hands running along his face. Her hands were so small and they felt like silk against his skin.

On that hot summer day, the demon prosecutor fell in love with a devil that had the touch of an angel. It was a contradiction.

But then again, love was full of contradictions.

* * *

A friend of mine had told me about this little writing exercise, and that is to write a short piece centered on the five senses. I decided to use the concept for this chapter. Since I primarily write about Ema and Klavier, I wanted to write about other couples.

Alec and Lisa was one of the first ones that came to mind, but I wanted to do it from Alec's perspective. The date is the same date from Chapter 18. It is the first time they ever met. I have found out that at Oxford, you have to wear a uniform, which is generally a white button down shirt, dark pants or skirts, a dark coat, and nice dress shoes and heels. Yikes...

Richard and Lotte, of course, was a shoe-in.

I quite love Lana and Jake in this chapter. I think theirs was one of my favorites.

The "Taste" sense was originally going to go to Maggey and Gumshoe, but I never wrote much about Trucy and her husband Aidan since Chapter 3, so I wanted to do something a little different.

Finally, Edgeworth and Franziska. When Edgeworth regains consciousness, he was supposed to see Franziska as an angel above him, but that was more of Sight than Touch.

Next Chapter: The Three Legged Raven.


	25. The Three Legged Raven

AN: **MAJOR, MAJOR, MAJOR, MAJOR** spoilers for Ace Attorney Investigations! Please do not read if you have not finished Case 5! I am not responsible if you spoil yourself! Don't say I didn't warn you!

(- -)

Chapter 25

The Three Legged Raven

**(September 10, 2052, Wednesday)**

Diana was seated on the couch, staring at one of the lobbies of the courthouse. She was quite familiar with it because a majority of her family was involved with the law. She was in Japan, just one of the stops in her journey around the world. She was touring Asia at the moment, and her first goal was to go to Japan because she wanted to do research on the three legged raven called the Yatagarasu.

Four years ago, she had heard the story of the Great Thief Yatagarasu from Edgeworth. She had heard that the Great Thief had left America and had moved to Japan. She knew the truth behind the Yatagarsu. The Great Thief wasn't just one person. It was a three person group who worked together to uncover illegal activities and reveal them to the media. They took down organizations that the courts couldn't touch.

Diana did her research. The Great Thief Yatagarsu's name came from the creature Yatagarasu from Japanese mythology. It was a three-legged raven associated with the sun. The mythology surrounding the bird was rather vague. There were accounts that they were sent by the sun goddess, Amaterasu, to help humans. There was one claim that Yatagarasu birds helped Emperor Jinmu claim victory. The Yatagarasu was thought to be a messenger or symbol of divine intervention in human affairs. It was a fitting name for the Great Thief.

"_Sumimasen, wakai josei ga ushinawa?_" asked a voice.

"Huh?" Diana looked up to see a guy about her age, standing in front of her. He had short black hair and emerald green eyes. "Oh, um…" Diana had never been good with foreign language. She took French in high school, and she failed it, even with tutoring from Ema and the twins. She picked up her translator machine and tried to remember the words she was just asked.

"English?" asked the guy.

Diana gave him a look of relief. "Oh! Can you speak English?"

"I can." The guy didn't have a hint of an accent when speaking in English. Diana assumed that he was incredibly fluent and had probably lived in the States for a while.

"Oh, super! I'm really sorry, but what did you say before?"

The guy smiled. "I was asking you if you were lost."

Diana chuckled. "Thank you, but no."

"You're familiar with the courthouse?"

"Yes and no. The inside of this courthouse looks a lot like the one I'm accustomed to from where I'm from."

"Are you familiar with the law?"

Diana beamed. "Yes! Most of my family is either a defense attorney or a prosecutor."

The guy sat down next to her. "My mom is a prosecutor."

"Is she?"

"Yes. She was inspired to become one because of her father and a dear friend of hers."

"That sounds kind of like…well, she's the daughter of one of my parents' friends, but I think of her as my sister. In any case, she became a defense attorney because she admired my grandfather's work so much. My grandfather was a defense attorney."

"'Was?'"

"Yeah. He was disbarred three years after he got his badge. He was cleared of those charges about seven years afterwards. He could have taken the bar exam again to get his badge back, but he never did. He's still a legend among the courts though." Diana beamed again.

He smiled. "I never introduced myself, did I?" asked the guy. "My name is Kurou Faraday."

Diana was alarmed, but she didn't let it show. Faraday? That was the last name of Kay Faraday, the woman Uncle Miles told her about. She was the successor to the Great Thief Yatagarasu. Diana quickly assumed that Kurou was Kay's son.

"My name is—"

"Kurou! _Junbi ni iku ka?_" Both looked up to see a woman approaching them. She looked to be about fifty. Her long black hair looked darker than the night, and she had green eyes. She spotted Diana and said, _"Ā, Kurou, atarashii tomodachi o tsukuru nodesu ka?"_

Diana tilted her head to the side and picked up her translator again, inputting the words in it.

The boy pulled the translator from Diana's hands and set it down on her lap. "Yes, Mother. This is…"

Diana chuckled. "My name is Diana Justice."

"Ah, she speaks English!" said the woman. "I am Kurou's mother, Prosecutor Kay Faraday."

Diana knew it. She didn't want to alarm Kay about the fact that she knew she was part of the Yatagarasu or the fact that she was the goddaughter of Miles Edgeworth and Franziska von Karma.

"Pleased to meet you."

"_Ta no nyūsu de wa, Yatagarasu ga futatabi musunde iru, kono jikan wa, ikutsu ka no ayashigena shōbai o akiraka ni suru..._" replied an announcer on a nearby television.

Kurou, Kay, and Diana turned to watch a couple of CEOs being led out of a building in handcuffs. The news cut to a shot of the white calling card with a black, three-legged raven.

"What happened?" asked Diana. Just by hearing that name and seeing that card was enough for her to understand what went down, but she was still a little curious.

"The news just said that the Yatagarasu has struck again and has just revealed some dirty dealings within a company," explained Kurou. "The Yatagarasu is an infamous thief that only steals the truth."

"Yatagarasu…" Diana whispered. "I've heard that name before."

Kay raised an eyebrow. "Really? From where?"

"From home," she answered. She wasn't going to give away too much. She just wanted to see Kay and Kurou's reaction. "I've grown up around the law. Police officers, detectives, attorneys… Not many remember the name or the case surrounding it, but I've seen it come up time to time in files. "

Kay laughed. "Where are you from, Diana?"

"Los Angeles, California."

"Ah, I see. I was born there, too. I was a kid when the Yatagarasu struck there."

Diana's eyes twinkled. "Really?"

"Yeah, but just like how Yatagarasu is vague in Japanese mythology, so are the details surrounding this "Great Thief."" She sighed. "I say, "let sleeping dogs lie.""

"Diana, where are you staying during your visit?" asked Kurou.

"In a hotel."

"That won't do," said Kay. "If you want to get the full experience, you should stay in a traditional Japanese home! Cancel your hotel reservation and stay at my home."

"Ah." Diana smiled and bowed. "Thank you very much."

(- -)

"Talk about traditional," mumbled Diana, gazing up at the Faraday household. It was a traditional house complete with tatami mats and shoji screens. There was a koi pond in the courtyard and a stone path leading in. Such a traditional house seemed a little out of place in such an urban city.

"When I moved to Japan, I used to live in an apartment," said Kay, "but when I started making money, I bought this house!"

Diana cocked her head to the side slightly. She wondered if Kay made the money from her job as a prosecutor or if she filched something valuable and sold it. She could remember Edgeworth telling her that it was hard to keep Kay in check since she was always pointing out how valuable some objects were and contemplating stealing them.

"It's a lovely house," answered Diana with a smile. "If you don't mind, I'd like to take some pictures."

"Go ahead! Kurou, take her bags to her room." Kay beamed and clapped her hands together. "Mother is going to prepare dinner!" She quickly skipped across the courtyard and slid open the door and disappeared.

Kurou laughed nervously. "She's a little eccentric for her age…"

Diana chuckled. "I'm no stranger to eccentricities."

Kurou picked up Diana's two bags and led her into the house. After taking off their shoes and putting on slippers, Kurou led Diana to a spare room. He slid the door open and Diana got to take a look inside.

In the center of the tatami mats was a large wooden table with a vase of flowers. To the side of the room was a pair of uneven shelves on the wall. Above and below them were small cabinets that could slide open. Next to that was a small alcove, decorated with hanging scroll on the wall with a vase of carefully arranged flowers in front.

Kurou dropped Diana's bags against the wall and went across the room. He pulled open the shoji screen to reveal a futon on top of a raised engawa. Across from the shoji screen was a sliding glass pane that looked out into the interior garden.

"Here's your bed. While the house is traditional, it does have some Western elements to it. This bed is an example."

Diana's eyes widened. She ran over to the futon, her eyes brimming with fascination. She slid the shoji screen back and forth several times and gasped. "That is so cool! It's like a hidden part of the room!" She kicked off her slippers and climbed up onto the futon. She slid open the glass pane, allowing the summer heat to waft in. She peered into the garden and saw that it was boxed in. There were similar glass planes that led to other bedrooms. "Imagine if you were being chased! It would be so easy to escape a room!"

Kurou laughed.

"Don't laugh!" said Diana. "I don't have any of this at home!"

There were, of course, the side rooms at the Mansion at Kurain Village, but they didn't compare to what Diana saw now. She was in love with this hidden bed. It reminded her of Luna's alcove bed that was easily hidden away by white cabinet doors.

Kurou laughed again. "Well, in any case, the bathroom and the toilet are just down the hall to the right."

"Thanks."

"Kurou! Diana! Dinner's ready!" Kay called out excitedly.

Diana giggled. "Is your mom always like this?" They began walking towards the dining room.

"Not in court," he answered. "Home, yes. She really loves having visitors. After all, it's just me and her in this house."

"Really? No other siblings?" Kurou shook his head. "What about your dad?"

He pursed his lips together, a frown creasing at his brow. "My dad died when I was younger."

Diana clamped a hand over her mouth. "Oh. I'm so sorry! I didn't know…"

As they passed by one of the rooms, Kurou pulled open one of the sliding doors. "That's his altar over there."

Diana looked inside and saw a small altar. There were a few incense sticks as well as a photograph of a smiling man. She suddenly felt guilty for bringing up such a bleak subject. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I shouldn't have said anything." Without thinking, she kept walking down the hall, unsure of where to go.

Kurou eventually caught up to her and led the way again. The walked into the dining room where Kay was waiting. There was an assortment of fish and rice on the table. Kurou sat down next to his mother and Diana sat down across from them.

"_Itadakimasu!" _said Kay, clapping her hands together.

"_Itadakimasu_," murmured Kurou.

Diana mumbled her thanks for the food before starting to dig.

"How long are you staying here, Diana?" asked Kay.

"I'm probably going to stay in Tokyo for a couple more days," she answered. "I want to go to more cities before I leave Japan."

"Like?"

"Hm…" Diana reached into her back pocket and pulled out a notebook. She began flipping through it. "I already looked around Hokkaido. I really liked Dewa Sanzan and Nyuto Onsen in Tohoku. Oh, and also Aizu. That was cool. I'm already in Tokyo…I was going to go to Kamakura next and then Hakone, Kusatsu Onsen, and Kairakuen Garden. Then I was going to take a look at Kanazawa, then maybe Fuji Five Lakes, and Matsumoto. I really want to go to Kyoto, Mount Koya, Nara, and then hit Himeji, Isa Shima, Yoshino, and definitely Miho Museum. Next, I was going to go to Miyajima and Hiroshima in Chugoku. In Shikoku, I want to see Naoshima, Matsuyama, and Kotohira. If I have time, then I want to go to Yakushima, Nagasaki, Takachiho, Beppu, Fukuoka, and Kumamoto. And if I _really_ have time, then I want to go to Okinawa."

Kay and Kurou blinked at her. "That's a lot of places," said Kay.

Diana smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, but I want to see as much of Japan as possible before I move on to another country."

"Why are you traveling so much? And what about money?"

"After I graduated high school, I wanted to see the world. I used the money I saved up as well as my college savings to travel." In a low voice, she added, "I'm sure my dad wasn't too happy that I cleaned out that account…"

Kay smiled. "Diana, you said that you were from LA. Do you know a man named Miles Edgeworth?"

"I do," she answered. "He's the best friend of my granddaddy."

"How is he?"

"He's fine. Living the married life, still at odds with his son, prosecuting people in court…the usual stuff." Though she already knew the answer, she asked, "Do you know him?"

Kay nodded. "Yes, he's an old friend. I haven't seen him since the christening of his son. How has Richard grown up?"

Diana laughed. "Oh, he's a cheeky bastard who constantly has to make some kind of witty remark to anyone. His parents are constantly arguing with him over his behavior, but he ignores their lectures. He was sent to Germany for college so he could become a prosecutor, but he became a defense attorney instead." _I bet he'll shape up a bit now that he's seeing Lotte behind everyone's back,_ she thought.

Kay laughed. "He sounds like fun. Has he…has he ever stolen anything before?"

The girl smiled. She wondered what Kay had done to ask such a thing. At Richard's christening, did bless him with the spirit of the Yatagarasu or something? She hated to disappoint Kay and say that Richard never stole anything for the truth. In the few cases that he did steal something, it was usually for his own interest. "Probably," she answered. "Why?"

She smiled. "No reason."

(- -)

**(September 11, 2052, Thursday)**

Diana slid open the shoji screen. She stepped down onto the cold, polished wooden floors and rubbed her eyes. She noticed an envelope on the table and went to open it up. Inside was a note and four ten thousand yen bills.

_Diana,_

_I have work today so I'll be out for a while. Kurou also has a few classes today, so we're sorry that we can't show you around. I've enclosed 40,000 yen so that you can buy whatever you'd like. (I'd recommend going to Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Akihabara.) Have fun!_

_Kay_

Diana smiled happily. An idea struck in her head. She glanced at the door and then at the window. She quickly got dressed and grabbed her slippers. She climbed up onto her futon and closed the shoji screen. She opened up her window and carefully stepped into the inner garden. She grimaced as she stood on the pebbles. She slowly made her way across the garden, careful not to leave any imprints of her feet. It was a decorative garden. No one was supposed to walk through it. She peeked in several of the windows until she found the one she was looking for. The futon was considerably wider than the one in her room. This had to be Kay Faraday's room.

She carefully pried the window open and jumped inside. She shut the window and with a sigh of relief, she slipped her slippers back on. She opened the shoji door a crack and looked out into the room. She didn't see anyone inside nor did she feel anyone's presence. She opened the screen and stepped into the room. She smoothed out the futon and shut the screen. The door to the hallway was closed.

Diana began to open and close the cabinets in Kay's room. She rummaged through her clothes, careful to put it back the way it was. Diana opened up a drawer and at the bottom she found a black device with a screen. At a first glance, it looked like a taser, but Diana was certain that it was Little Thief. A couple more drawers and she saw a big, gold pin that looked like the raven on the calling cards of the Yatagarasu.

She could hear her Uncle Miles' voice in her head.

_Diana, do you know why the Yatagarasu has three legs?_

_No. Why?_

_There are always three main reasons why the Yatagarasu is one step ahead. One, the Yatagarasu always knows the exact location of the target object. Two, the Yatagarasu always knows exactly how to disarm the security system. And finally, three, the Yatagarasu doesn't leave a single shred of evidence. Ever._

_I don't get it. What does this have to do with the Yatagarasu having three legs?_

_Think about it, Diana. You're a child of the law._

…

_Diana?_

_The Yatagarasu knows the exact location of what it wants…a defense attorney has the opportunity to learn the layout of where their clients work. The Yatagarasu knows how to disarm the security system…and prosecutors should know how criminals work. Lastly, the Yatagarasu never leaves any evidence behind. That's because the lead detective would be able to hide it away. The Great Thief is actually the Great Thieves._

Was that why Kay became a prosecutor? She wanted to be a "Hero of Justice" like her father. Diana had suspected that Kurou had replaced his mother, but with the pin and Little Thief still in her room, Kay still was in the group. Diana wondered who the other two in the group were.

She quickly stowed away the pin and Little Thief where she found them. She opened the door and was going to leave when she caught sight of a few photographs on the shelf. She wandered over to them. She immediately recognized one of them. It was a younger Kay grabbing the cravat of a reluctant Edgeworth while Gumshoe smiled in the corner. Of course she knew this picture. She had nicked it from Edgeworth's house before for her scrapbook.

Another photograph showed Kay and her late husband at their wedding. There was another of them with Kurou, just born in the hospital. There was one photograph with a young Kay with her parents. The last photograph was with Kay and two other women. Kay and one of them were wearing suits while the last one was wearing a uniform. They had to be the Great Thief Yatagarasu.

"Diana?" She turned to see Kurou staring at her from the hall. "What are you doing?"

"I got lost," she lied. She gestured to the pictures. "Is this your mom's room?"

"Yeah."

Kurou stood next to her, gazing at the photographs.

Diana pointed to Edgeworth. "That's my Uncle Miles. She really does know him."

"I heard he's a good man."

"He is." Diana pointed to the picture with Kay and the two women. "Who are they?"

"Best friends of my mom," said Kurou. He pointed to the woman in the suit. "This is Wattan Chisuzu. Ah, Chisuzu Wattan in Western form. She's a defense attorney." He pointed to the woman in uniform. "That's Detective Sora. Tsukiko Sora in Western form."

Diana laughed. "A prosecutor, a defense attorney, and a detective. Sounds like a dream team."

"They're involved in cases a lot. Mom and Wattan-san don't get along sometimes, but that's usually when they're working on a case."

_They're the Yatagarasu_, thought Diana. _It makes perfect sense._

"Don't you have class, Kurou?"

"Yeah. In an hour. I was just about to leave," he said. "What are you going to do today?"

"Probably go shopping. Your mom recommended some places to go."

"Will you be all right? You'll get lost."

She grinned. "Getting lost is part of the fun. Besides, I'm confident I'll be all right."

"You can't speak the language."

"I'll get around. I always do."

(- -)

**(September 12, 2052, Friday)**

Diana bowed in front of Kay. "Thank you for letting me stay here, Mrs. Faraday."

"Oh, no problem! Kurou and I always enjoy having company," said Kay. "I'm sorry he couldn't be here to see you off."

"It's all right."

"Give my regards to Mr. and Mrs. Edgeworth and Detective Gumshoe."

"I will." Diana glanced behind her to see the taxi pull up in front of the house. "Mrs. Faraday, um…" She wanted to say that she knew that she was one of the legs of the Yatagarasu. How would she take it? What would she say? Instead, Diana bowed again. "Thank you again for everything!"

"You're welcome. Where are you headed off to next?"

"Kamakura!"

"Have fun! You're welcome back here anytime!"

With a smile and a wave, Diana picked up her bags and got into the taxi, off to her next adventure.

* * *

What I found interesting about this chapter was that it's kind of like paralleling Phoenix Wright and Gyakuten Saiban. Like the courthouses, for example. Kay's house and Kurain village and the spirit mediums.

Kurou Faraday is Kay's son, but there's a little more to his name. "Kurou" is actually Byrne Faraday's Japanese name. It is a romanization of "crow." So technically, Kurou is named after his grandfather.

Truth be told, I found it to be rather...strange, I guess that Kay would turn out to be a prosecutor. I always imagined her more as a detective, but as I was writing, I was thinking of the three traits of the Yatagarasu. Because Kay is in possession of Little Thief, she had to become a prosecutor. Byrne was the one who would do the stealing, and he used Little Thief to help him. Little Thief was created by Byrne. If Kay was a detective, I don't think she would turn it over to the prosecutor of the group.

I really like the traditional houses in Japan with the courtyard and the sliding doors. An engawa is the wooden strip of flooring outside of windows and storm shutters in traditional houses. I was looking at pictures of this modernized traditional home and I saw one picture of a raised engawa with a futon on top and windows that looked out into the inner garden. I thought it was the coolest thing I've ever seen before. I want one of those. I also want one of those alcove beds that looks like a cabinet at first glance, and when you pull open the doors, HOLY CRAP THERE'S A BED INSIDE! But that's neither here nor there.

Diana lists a bunch of places she wants to go to while in Japan. She says that she's already been to Hokkaido and then went to Dewa Sanzen, Nyuto Onsen, and Aizu in the Tohoku region. Dewa Sanzen is famous for its three sacred mountains and its shrines. Nyuto Onsen is a hot springs resort. Aizu is a small city known for its samurai history.

Of course, while in Japan, you have to visit Tokyo in the Kanto region (haha, the first region of Pokemon!), which is where Diana is at. Kamakura is known for having a lot of historic treasures. Hakone is a national park with views of Mount Fuji, Kusatsu Onsen is one of the best hot springs resorts, and Kairakuen Garden is a spacious garden known for its plum trees.

In the Chibu region, Kanazawa is famous for being a city with a rich culture and history. Fuji Five Lakes is a resort at the foot of Mount Fuji. Matsumoto is a city famous for its castle.

In the Kansai region, Kyoto was once the capital of Japan for a thousand years. It is the epitome of traditional Japan. Mount Koya is a temple mountain. Nara was Japan's first permanent capital. Himeji is the site of Japan's most beautiful feudal castle. Isa Shima is the site of Japan's most sacred Shinto shrines. Yoshino is the most famous spot for cherry blossoms, and Miho Museum is a unique art museum in the mountains, so of course Diana would want to visit that.

In Chugoku, Miyajima is an island known for its shrine and large torii gate. Hiroshima is famous because...well, you know.

In Shikoku, Naoshima is a small island with a lot of modern art. Matsuyama is the largest city in Shikoko with a beautiful castle. Kotohira has Shikoko's most popular shrine.

In the Kyushu region is Yakushima, which is an island with an ancient cedar forest. Nagasaki is a port city that is famous for the same reason as Hiroshima's. Takachiho is a town famous for its mythology. Beppu is the capital city of hot springs. Fukuoka is the most vibrant city in Kyushu. Kumamoto is a modern city famous for its castle.

Finally, there's Okinawa, which is famous for its islands and beaches.

Thank you to this sightseeing guide I found online.

Kay suggests Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Akihabara to go shopping. Shibuya has trendy fashion while Akihabara is for electronics.

Wattan Chisuzu (Surname, First Name) is the defense attorney while Sora Tsukiko is the detective in Yatagarasu. Their names are loosely based off of the meaning of Ayasato Chihiro (Mia Fey) and Houzuki Akane (Ema Skye) respectively. Because Kay suggests that she wants to make the next group of Yatagarasu all female, I was wondering what to name the other two. Because Mia is a defense attorney and Ema is a detective, I used the meanings of their names as a jumping off point. Wattan means "from the homeland" and Chisuzu means "the beauty of a thousand bells." Sora means "sky" and Tsukiko means "moon."

I was originally going to end the chapter with Diana telling Kay that she knows she is part of the Yatagarasu, but I decided to change it. The Yatagarasu is supposed to be vague. It is supposed to be a three legged raven shrouded in mystery. It ruins the mystery since I think Edgeworth was completely careless in telling Diana EVERYTHING about the Yatagarasu.

Japanese Translations

_Sumimasen, wakai josei ga ushinawa?_ - Excuse me, is the young miss lost?

_Junbi ni iku ka?_ - Ready to go?

_Ā, Kurou, atarashii tomodachi o tsukuru nodesu ka?_ - Ah, Kurou, did you make a new friend?

_Ta no nyūsu de wa, Yatagarasu ga futatabi musunde iru, kono jikan wa, ikutsu ka no ayashigena shōbai o akiraka ni suru..._ - In other news, the Yatagarasu has struck again, this time, revealing some shady business...

These phrases were done with a translator so they are not 100% correct. I had to alter the first three phrases slightly (with the limited Japanese I know) because the translation used "anata wa," which means "you." When you use "you," it is considered to be rather rude. That's why the first phrase literally translates to "Excuse me, is the young miss lost?" The same with the third phrase. Kay literally says, "Ah, Kurou, made a new friend?" It's really hard to try not using "you."

That's all for now!

Next Chapter: The world is constantly moving, lives moving along with it.


	26. Gossiping Adults

(- -)

Chapter 26

Gossiping Adults

**(January 19, 2059, Sunday)**

Family gatherings were always planned throughout the year, but tonight's was a very special one. It was one of the very few gatherings with only the adults. None of their kids were allowed to attend, but the thought was a little obsolete since their kids had lives and families of their own now. Richard called the gathering a "get together for old people." Franziska promptly cracked her whip at her son, but he dodged and cackled with laughter.

They all sat together around a large wooden table at Phoenix's apartment, passing around food and wine.

"Ah, Ema, how are your grandkids?" asked Trucy. "I haven't seen them around for a while."

"They're a rambunctious lot," answered Ema, taking a sip of wine.

"Like my kids?" asked Pearl.

"They're better-behaved," corrected Klavier. "The boys aren't like their parents though. They're not cheeky like their father—"

"That's _good_," mused Edgeworth.

"But they aren't as sweet and nice as their mother," he finished.

"And the girls?" asked Phoenix.

"I have an inkling," said Ema. She winked and tapped the side of her nose. "Aurora and Alexandra are going to be like their mother and Lisa. They'll be polar opposites of each other. You can see it already even though they're only two."

"How?" asked Gumshoe.

"Ah, I know what you're talking about," said Lana, tapping her sister on the arm. "Aurora is going to be the feminine one and Alexandra will be the tomboy."

Ema nodded. "Yeah. Aurora is always holding onto this penguin plushie Zak gave her. She loves dressing up and having tea parties with her stuffed animals. Alexandra, on the other hand, likes playing with her brothers' action figures and tagging along after them. She always ends up getting her clothes dirty so Lotte hardly bothers to dress her up anymore."

Will and James Edgeworth had just turned three years old. They were thought to be good kids, better than how their father was. They were well-behaved, but they craved for attention from their parents. They were constantly trying to find ways to impress them. Their black hair had grown in and their blue eyes looked like big, blue oceans.

Aurora Fleur Edgeworth and Alexandra Adelaide Edgeworth had just turned two. Aurora had a fondness for stuffed animals, and she was particularly taken with a stuffed penguin that Zak had given her. It may have stemmed from the fact that she had a small crush on him. She loved looking at pretty pictures in books and trying to hum songs. Alexandra preferred to play with action figures than dolls. She loved playing outside in the dirt and especially the rain, which subsequently always earned her a cold. The girls were fraternal twins. Both girls were tan like their mother, but Aurora was noticeably lighter skinned than her sister. Alexandra was as tan her mother, and she always got darker when playing outside during the summer. Aurora had black hair and blue eyes while Alexandra had brown hair and brown eyes.

"In any case, those kids are bound to be better than my kids," said Pearl. "Mine have gotten to be so…_wild_!"

"Henry, yes," corrected Maya. "Anthony's controlling his double personality, Nick has always been rowdy, and the girls are still good."

The five Kitaki kids were as unruly as possible. In truth, only two of them were unruly for two different reasons. Henry was as bored as ever, and Pearl was worried that all of his schemes would eventually blow up in his face. As Nick got older, his energy grew as well. He was always quick to escape his studies and play sports in the streets. Wocky had bought him a mountain bike of his birthday, which frightened Pearl, but riding it wasn't enough. He had to learn tricks, which earned him more scrapes than when he was younger.

When Anthony was eleven, a trip to the dentist made him learn that he had earned seven cavities from excessively eating sweets. He sought to control his "other" personality. Even though he was a male and could not learn the techniques of spirit channeling, Anthony underwent the trainees' training so he could control his desire for sweets. His Aunt Maya cackled evilly and sent him off to train his body and mind. Anthony's training never went smoothly since his sisters suddenly developed a new pastime in tempting him with sweets.

When Mia and Lily weren't messing around with Anthony, they were busy with other things. Their powers were powerful enough as it was, but Maya and Pearl began to notice that Lily's was much more powerful than her sister's. The twins overheard them, and Lily began to go through rigorous training while Mia spent more time baking in the kitchen. They were eleven, and they were ready to honor the deal they made when they were younger.

"They just get roped into Henry's plots," said Phoenix with a laugh.

"Exactly!"

"I still find it hard to believe that Henry is almost fifteen now," said Vera.

"He's more of a monster than when he was a kid," said Wocky.

"He's been getting more and more manipulative lately," said Pearl. "I don't know what to do."

"He's bored," said Trucy. "He needs to go out into the world."

"He might get bored once he's seen the world," said Franziska.

"He's hitting that age for puberty, isn't he?" asked Apollo. "You might want to send him away to a boarding school or something. Who knows what kind of damage he'll do in Kurain where the population is mostly women…"

"I thinking the same exact thing," said Phoenix.

"I don't know…" murmured Maggey. "That sounds rather awful. It sounds like you're just giving up on him and dumping him onto someone else's lap."

"That's what I was afraid of," said Pearl.

"You just need someone to whip him into shape," answered Franziska.

"You shouldn't be the one to do that, Franziska," said Phoenix. "You couldn't whip your own son into shape, after all."

"I'm about to whip you! How about that?"

"Any one of our kids about to have another grandchild?" Vera asked quickly. "Kids and marriage is the last thing on Diana's mind."

"I think Lotte and Richard are through with having another," said Edgeworth.

"I want a grandchild," said Maggey.

"Except Devlin doesn't want kids," finished Gumshoe.

"Why not?" asked Aidan. "He'll be forty this year, right? He should be thinking about kids."

Maggey shrugged. "He told me that he just doesn't want them."

Devlin got married four years ago. He met his wife at a mutual friend's house. They went to grab the last glass of champagne and introductions went from there. His wife was a writer. She had only released a couple of novels to lukewarm results. Devlin said that he and his wife didn't want kids. He never gave a reason, so Phoenix kept coming up with theories as to why he didn't want them. One was that they didn't make enough money to support a child, and another theory was that he didn't want to pass down his bad luck to his child.

"And Kyra?"

"She's getting closer. She'll be getting married in December," answered Maggey.

"Oh, she finally set a date?" asked Maya.

She nodded. "December 31, a New Years Eve wedding."

Kyra was still working in theater in New York, but she hadn't made it big yet. The pay wasn't that impressive, but she was much happier with doing what she loved than doing it for the money and fame. Her fiancé was also an actor. He was a little older and a little more experienced than Kyra, and helped coach her a little when working together on a production of _Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?_

Lana scoffed. "At least she's getting married. Mondo's excuse as to not having a wife is because he's been busy."

"Well, after that nasty divorce last year, I don't think Mondo is going to be thinking of marriage again any time soon," said Phoenix.

Last year, Mondo married a woman who was also a doctor. They were married for six months when they filed for divorce. They had conflicting work schedules and it led to them fighting a lot. They went to see a marriage counselor and tried to work out their problems, but it was too late. Their bickering was too much and they divorced.

"Stella hasn't roped in her boyfriend yet?" asked Pearl. "Do you think I should help?"

Lana groaned. "Oh, please do so! They've been together for five years!"

"On and off," corrected Jake.

"And Luna's still dating famous actors," said Lana. "She has no intention of settling down either."

"I wouldn't say that," said Vera. "I bet she wants to get married and have kids, but she's still searching for that one, perfect person."

"That doesn't exist in Hollywood," Aidan said quickly. "It's all about drama and then divorces."

Franziska groaned and rolled her eyes. "Hollywood is like high school for the rich and famous."

Lana sighed. "Let's not gossip about movie stars." She grabbed a handful of baby carrots from a nearby bowl. "How's retirement, Gumshoe?"

"Boring," he answered simply.

Everyone laughed.

"The pension is nice though," said Trucy. "It's better than when you were working."

"Yeah, thanks to Mr. Edgeworth!" he said with a grin.

"He should have gotten that nice amount when Devlin and Kyra were growing up," murmured Maya from behind her glass.

Phoenix caught her eye and nodded in agreement.

"What do you do all day?" asked Apollo. "Just sit around and watch TV?"

Maggey giggled. "Pretty much."

"There's not much to do!" objected Gumshoe.

"Read a book," said Franziska.

"Aw, I don't have the patience to do that, pal!"

"Nick, do you remember that fishing rod we saw in the evidence room when we were working on Lana's case?" asked Ema.

Phoenix snorted. "That was a _long_ time ago…but I think I know what you're talking about."

"Anyway, you should take up fishing, Gumshoe! I was in the evidence room last week, and I saw it sitting in that corner still."

"Covered up in layers of dust, no doubt," remarked Phoenix.

"Oh, yeah! That was mine!" Gumshoe frowned. "But it's in the evidence room. I'm not a detective anymore! How am I supposed to get it out?"

"Buy a new one," said Edgeworth.

"I'll see if I can get it out somehow," said Ema. "I think the Chief would be happy to get rid of it. It's just taking up space."

"Just buy a new one," repeated Edgeworth. "You have a pension. Use it."

"I was hoping to save up so that Maggey and I could take a vacation."

Vera laughed. "You should ask Diana for suggestions on where to go. I'm sure she could tell you a lot."

"Yeah, when she decides to come home," said Apollo, "whenever that is."

"Where is she now?" asked Jake. "A couple of years ago, she was in South America."

"Africa. Sent home a postcard last month saying that she was absolutely excited to be in Casablanca since she loved the movie."

Pearl quickly sat up, her chair toppling over behind her. She slammed her hands on the table and pointed at Maya. "Oh, I almost forgot! Mystic Maya!"

Maya flinched slightly under Pearl's hard stare. "W-what is it, Pearly?"

"You're turning sixty next year!"

"Pfft," she scoffed. She rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me."

"Who's getting old now?" asked Phoenix with a laugh.

Maya grabbed a handful of cheese puffs and threw them at Phoenix across the table. A few stray puffs hit Jake and Klavier. Phoenix was unfazed and only laughed harder when Maya yelled out, "Shut up! You're older than _me_!"

"Don't forget your promise!" cut in Pearl. "You and Nick are getting married next year!"

Maya groaned. "Ah, crap. I was hoping you would forget about that."

"You know that she would _never_ forget that," said Wocky.

"We are not going to have a big, elaborate wedding," said Phoenix. "It's too much trouble."

"You're really going to go through with this?" asked Apollo.

Phoenix shrugged. As Pearl turned to pick up her fallen chair, he mouthed, "I have a plan."

Lana laughed. Her phone started ringing. She checked the caller id and flipped it open. "Hello."

"Uh…Mom?" the voice asked tentatively. It was Stella.

"What is it, Stella?"

There was a long silence. There was some shuffling before Stella spoke. She sounded nervous and uneasy. "Mom, I…I have to tell you something…um…"

Lana frowned and glanced at her husband.

"What's wrong?" asked Jake.

Lana shrugged. "I don't know."

"Put her on speaker."

She hit the button for speaker phone so that everyone could hear. "Stella, are you okay?"

There was more shuffling and it sounded like Stella put something on a countertop. There was a soft thump before everyone heard, "Holy shit…" There was a sigh. "_Holy shit_…Mom, I'm pregnant."

* * *

DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!

I find it terrifying that the characters are entering the age of grandkids. They're super old now!

Even two year olds can start having crushes! It's true. I've known this kid since he was a baby, and since he was a toddler, he's had a crush on me. His dad even said it front of my face. You know how in middle school or whatever, your friends or your classmates would tap someone else and then point at you and jokingly say, "Oh, this person likes you." It was like that.

I'm scared of the fact that Henry is almost fifteen. With his nature, I can see him starting to develop schemes of a sexual nature, especially since Kurain has a lot of estrogen. The way I see it, he might turn out to be like the manipulative Tony from _Skins_.

_Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?_ is a play by Edward Albee. You usually read it in high school as a senior if you are taking AP English. Well, at my high school, that's how it went. I never took AP English, but I did take Creative Writing so I got to watch the movie. My friend lent me the play to read as well. All I can say is that it is a really intense play and movie. I would totally recommend watching the movie. It's in black and white, but don't let that deter you.

Next Chapter: Stella Marshall, Future _Mommy_.


	27. Stella Marshall, Future Mommy

(- -)

Chapter 27

Stella Marshall, Future Mommy

**(January 22, 2059, Wednesday)**

Stella had always thought of herself as a strong woman. That little blue plus sign on that stick suddenly changed her. She felt scared, almost weak. She could take care of herself and not depend on others, but now…she was going to have a baby. She would have to take care of it as well as herself. She had taken care of the younger kids before, but this was different. It was a baby.

_Her_ baby.

Telling her on-and-off boyfriend scared her as much as staring at that positive pregnancy test. Of course he was father. They weren't dating at the moment, but last month, they found each other in the same bar. One too many drinks resulted in a one night stand that they never brought up again. But now she would have to bring it up. What would he do? Would he want nothing to do with the baby? She would have to see his reaction herself.

"Hey, Stella," greeted Luke. "It's rare for you to come by my apartment." He stopped for a moment. "Unless—"

"I just came by to tell you something." She sat down on his couch and sighed.

Luke sat down next to her. "All right. What is it?"

Stella chewed on her lip for a moment. "I'm…pregnant." She watched Luke freeze. "And you're the father." She waited for him to process the information.

He blinked at her before slowly saying, "W-wow…I-I wasn't expecting that." He began looking around. "Uh…I don't have a ring around…"

"A ring?" she asked, startled. "What do you need a ring for?"

"Well, I think we should get married."

She had expected someone to say that she should get married because she could not have a child out of wedlock, but somehow, she was still taken back. "Yeah…but we're not in love. Marriage is for people in love," she said. "Luke, are we in love? Because I'm not in that place with you right now."

"You can't possibly have this baby alone."

"Who says that I can't have this baby alone?" she demanded irritably. "Just because I'm not married doesn't mean I'm going to be alone in raising this child. It's going to have its grandparents, its cousins, aunts and uncles…and its father, if he wants to be involved. Luke, are you going to be in this child's life?"

Luke reached over and clasped her hand. "I will. Don't worry."

Stella let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks." She stood up and grabbed her purse. "I have to go now and visit my parents. I have to hide my dad's shotgun."

"That would be a good idea," laughed Luke.

Stella gave him a goodbye kiss on the cheek and left.

(- -)

"So…" Stella began slowly.

"So," Lana said quietly.

"So," said Jake, "what are you going to do, Stella?"

"What do you think, Dad? I'm going to have this baby."

"And Luke?"

"He'll be there for me and the baby."

"Are you going to get married?" asked Lana.

"Luke wanted to, but I didn't."

"Stella!"

"I don't believe I should get married just because I'm knocked up."

"You can't have a child out of wedlock," argued Lana.

"Watch me," challenged Stella. "I'm not you and Dad."

Jake narrowed his eyes, taken back a bit. "What was that?"

Stella laughed. "Don't think that I don't know! Don't think that Mondo and Luna don't know!" She saw her mom close her eyes in horror. "You both got married because Mom got pregnant with Mondo."

"H-how did you find out?" asked Lana.

"Well, it was pretty easy to figure out if you look at your wedding date and when Mondo was born! You were about two months pregnant when you got married!"

Lana sighed. "Dammit. And here I thought that I could keep it a secret…"

"Mom," Stella said, her voice becoming a little more confident, "this baby isn't going to be less loved just because Luke and I aren't getting married." She ran her hands over her stomach. "Honestly, I have my reservations about raising a kid, but I think I'll be fine. Besides, I don't think I'm ready for marriage yet."

"But you're ready to have a kid?" asked Jake.

"I have to be." Stella smiled softly. "On the bright side, you'll be grandparents."

"Yeah."

"Yeah," said Lana. She sighed. "I guess I don't need your shotgun, Jake."

"Just put it back where you got it."

Stella glanced at her mother. "I _knew_ you would be the first one to grab that."

(- -)

"So I hear you're knocked up," said Mondo on the phone.

"That's right," said Stella. "You're going to be an uncle, Mondo!"

"Cool. How far along are you?"

"A little over a month."

"Have fun with your morning sickness."

Stella gave him a sarcastic laugh. "Thanks, asshole."

"Should I start booking my flight to make it in time for a shotgun wedding?"

"No need. I convinced Mom and Dad that marriage isn't right for me and Luke just because we're having a baby."

Mondo laughed. "You've got guts when they have a shotgun."

"Yeah, well, I'm undaunted. I'm going to be a mother. I can't fear anything."

"Are you raising the kid under Luke's name or as a Marshall?"

Stella sighed. "Do you even have to ask? Of course this kid is going to be a Marshall!"

"That's good. At least it will be able to carry on the family name."

Stella frowned. "Are you never going to have kids?"

"Maybe, maybe not. With my job, I don't have much time for kids."

"That's bullshit, and you know it, Mondo. You're busy because you want to be busy. If you were married and had kids, you would _make_ time for them."

"I tried that with my bitch of an ex-wife, but she didn't try to make any time for me," Mondo said coldly.

"Yeah, well, that was her problem. Marriage is a gamble, and as I recall, you like gambling."

She heard her brother scoff on the other line. "Some gamble. It ended in a lot of fighting, stress, and wasted money on the counseling sessions and divorce lawyers."

"We all can't have happy endings."

"We all can't have happy marriages," corrected Mondo. "Especially when your ex-wife accuses you of stealing her money to gamble it away. Goddammit, I use the money _I_ earn when I gamble!"

There was a long silence. "I'm sorry for putting you in a foul mood," Stella said quietly.

Mondo groaned. "Nah, it's my fault for bringing it up. I gotta go though. I have an appointment with a client soon."

"Take care, Mondo. Don't work yourself to death just because you don't have a girl."

"No, _you_ take care, Stella. You have someone growing inside of you now. Be sure to drink a lot of water after you hurl. When you start eating like a glutton, don't focus on what you're craving. You need to have a good balance of nutrition. Don't overwork yourself! And most importantly, you're pregnant! Absolutely no alcohol for the next eight months!"

Stella giggled. "Yes, Dr. Marshall."

(- -)

**(January 23, 2059, Thursday)**

Stella dragged her feet as she came into the office. When Apollo, Vera, and Richard looked up at her when she entered. She threw them a tired look before sitting down at her desk.

"How was your sonogram?" asked Vera.

"Fine. Baby's all right." She opened up a new bottle of water and chugged half the bottle. "I threw up outside."

"Gross," murmured Richard.

"Aw, you poor girl," said Vera, getting up to hug her. "The first trimester is pretty rough."

Richard held up an orange. "Want one, Stella?"

Stella recoiled and held her hand over her nose. "Ugh, get that away from me!" She scrambled out of her desk and ran to the bathroom where she threw up again.

"Oh, she's like me," said Vera. "I hated oranges when I was pregnant with Diana."

"Should we move your office next to the toilet for you?" asked Apollo.

Stella shuddered as she washed her mouth with water.

Phoenix came out of his office. "Is Stella in the bathroom?" he asked.

"Unfortunately," the woman spat out.

Phoenix walked to the doorway of the bathroom. "Stella, I'm not going to let you take any cases until you're in your second trimester."

"What? Why?"

"I'm sure you won't impress the Judge if you have to keep leaving the courtroom so you can throw up."

Stella let out a disgruntled sigh. In times of frustration, she would grab a bottle of whiskey and drink some, but alas, she was pregnant. It was going to be a long, long eight months.

(- -)

**(August 2, 2059, Saturday)**

Luna stared at her sister in disbelief as the plates of food disappeared before her eyes. She was so stunned that she hadn't even touched her own food. Stella's eyes turned on her plate like a predator zooming in on its prey.

"Are you going to eat that?" asked Stella.

"You are not going to touch my food!"

"Oh, all right." Stella grabbed a breadstick instead.

"You're such a glutton," said Luna. "You should be lucky that I'm the one paying for this dinner."

"I can't help it! I'm eating for—"

"—two, yes, yes, I know." Luna laughed. "I swear you just ate a cow though."

"For these past several months, I think I've eaten twenty cows."

"Kyra would cry if she heard you say that."

"Ah, I don't care. They were delicious cows." Stella patted her swollen belly. The sisters giggled. Stella finished a breadstick and grabbed another. "I seriously think this baby is a boy. With all this meat, it has to be a boy. Eating meat is very manly."

"Marshall men _are_ very manly," said Luna with another laugh.

"I know it isn't good to eat so much meat, so I try to balance it out with vegetables and fruits. The baby doesn't like it that much. It wants meat!"

"I bet Mondo gave you a spreadsheet of good diets for you and the baby."

Stella smiled. "You bet he did."

"And?"

"I accidentally deleted it."

"Yeah?"

The older Marshall girl laughed. "You're right. I deleted it on purpose." Another breadstick. "Do you know if he is going to see me next month?"

"Your due date is next month right? I don't know if he's coming back." Luna laughed. "Wouldn't it be funny if he delivered your baby?"

Stella frowned. "What's funny about it? I don't want my brother to see a baby coming out of _my_ vagina!

Luna giggled. "Okay, point taken."

"I'm moving back in with Mom and Dad, at least, until I can take care of the baby myself," said Stella.

"Are you on maternity leave yet?"

"Yeah. I came into work one morning, and Uncle Phoenix kicked me right out. He was like, "Go start your maternity leave, Stella, and do nothing all day as you wait to squeeze your baby out!""

A grin passed over Luna's lips as she broke out laughing. "I know Uncle Nick and Auntie Trucy aren't related by blood, but jeez, you certainly would think so by their similar choice of words!"

Stella rolled her eyes. "Seriously. I have literally nothing to do right now other than eat and read pregnancy books. I can't drink. All there is on TV is a bunch of soap operas and cooking shows, and those cooking shows only make me want to eat more!"

"Pregnant women are gluttons."

Stella slammed her fist on the table. The tableware clattered. A few heads turned. "We can't help it! I can't wait until you get pregnant. Then I can rub it in your face. "Oh, Luna, you're a glutton!""

"That'll never happen," said Luna. "I'm a supermodel. I know what I can and cannot eat."

Her sister scoffed. "Ha! We'll see about that! You may know what you can and cannot eat, but the baby doesn't care as long as it gets what it wants." Stella got up from her chair. "Ugh. Excuse me for a minute. The baby suddenly thinks my bladder is a squeeze toy."

(- -)

**(September 29, 2059, Monday)**

Richard and Lotte approached Room 1208 and knocked on the door.

"Come in," said Stella.

When they opened the door, they saw Stella lying on the bed with her newborn baby in her arms.

"Hey!" greeted Lotte. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good," said Stella. She held up her baby and giggled. "I'm so happy…"

"Luke was really excited when he came out," said Richard.

Stella grinned triumphantly. "I called it, you know. I knew it would be a boy."

"Did you name him yet?"

"Yup. This is Leon Sirius Marshall."

Richard stared at Stella for a moment before laughing. "Whenever I hear 'Sirius,' I always hear 'Black' afterwards! His middle name is after a Harry Potter character!"

She scowled. "Shut up! Since he is a Marshall, I wanted a strong name for him so I named him Leon after the Leo constellation. Leo is a lion, after all."

"The brightest star of the Leo constellation is Regulus, not Sirius," said Richard. "Sirius is the brightest star of Canis Major."

"I know that!" she hissed. "I like Sirius better, anyway. Lisa lectured me on that, too."

"You told her about Leon already?" asked Lotte.

"Yep. She said she'll try to leave Scotland to visit us."

Lotte chuckled. "That's right. She's in Scotland. With her _boyfriend_."

"Ten bucks says that Lisa will be pregnant when they get married," said Richard.

"Ten bucks says that Lisa and Alec will elope," said Lotte.

Stella laughed. "I'm with you on that one, Lotte. Richard, you're on."

They heard some fumbling outside the door. The door handle moved down and Zak pushed the door open with his back. "Hey!" he greeted, holding an open laptop.

"Hi Zak!" greeted Stella. When Zak came up to her bedside, she kissed him on the forehead. "What's up?" With a smile, Zak laid the laptop on Stella's lap. "Oh!" On the screen was Mondo's face via webcam. Lotte and Richard leaned in to wave to the man in the screen.

"How's the new mommy?" asked Mondo.

"The new mommy is just fine," said Stella. She angled Leon so her brother could see his new nephew. "Baby is fine, too."

"No problems during labor?"

"Other than the pain being incredibly intense? No. At least it was probably better than Lotte's."

Lotte raised an eyebrow. "Two kids coming out of your vagina isn't exactly paradise. And I went through with it twice." She noticed Zak flushing. With a chuckle, she pinched his cheek. "Oh, come on, Zak. Don't be so shy. Where else do babies come from?"

"It was definitely not the stork," said Stella.

"Is the baby a boy or a girl?" asked Mondo.

"A boy," Stella answered proudly. "This is Leon Sirius Marshall."

"Not Sirius Black," remarked Richard. Stella reached over to pinch his shoulder. "Ow."

"I named him after the Leo constellation."

Mondo frowned. "And after the star Sirius?"

"Mm hmm."

"But Leo's brightest star is Regulus. Sirius is the brightest star of Canis Major," he replied.

"See! Your brother says so, too!" said Richard.

"Oh, come on, Stella. You're an Oxford graduate. You should know this."

"I do know," objected Stella. "I like Sirius better than Regulus."

"Well, I hope you're ready to explain the inconsistency of the name for the rest of Leon's life," said Mondo.

"Bite me."

"I love you, too, sis."

(- -)

With all the visitors gone, Luke and Stella sat alone in the hospital room, staring at the sleeping face of their son.

"He's perfect," whispered Stella.

"I think he looks like you," said Luke.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

She giggled. "I'm so happy we got drunk and had sex."

Luke laughed. "Me too." He ran a finger along Leon's soft cheek. He stirred slightly, but continued to sleep. "Do you think we'll be good parents?"

Stella smiled. "Only one way to find out."

* * *

And another kids for the age of grandchildren. It's frightening.

Stella mentions her dad's shotgun, which is of course, a reference to a shotgun wedding. It's when a girl gets pregnant out of wedlock so the girl's father takes a shotgun to "coerce" the boyfriend to marry the daughter so they can avoid the scandal of having a child out of wedlock. Of course, I always imagined that it would be Lana to grab the shotgun instead of Jake. Jake's one of those types where he doesn't care what his kids do as long as they know what they're doing.

I'm sorry that this chapter is rather rushed. I've been trying to balance a lot of errands and school stuff with writing. I'm starting school tomorrow, so updates may slow down. When I do post, it will always be on a Sunday.

As a last request, I want to keep writing moments in the past because if I keep going forward then our favorite PW characters are going to age and then die. And that makes me a sad panda. So! If there is any kind of family moment you would like to see, please tell me and I'll see what I can whip up.

Next Chapter: A man's best friend.


	28. A Man's Best Friend

(- -)

Chapter 28

A Man's Best Friend

**(August 25, 2043, Tuesday)**

"I'm home," said Edgeworth to no one in particular. It was an empty house. His wife was finishing up in court and his son was probably driving the twins wherever they wanted to go.

Edgeworth was about to kick off his shoes when he noticed Pesu lying down in his corner. He moved over to Pesu. The old dog noticed him and raised his head slightly, looking up at his master with glassy eyes. His tail wagged a few times, thumping on the floor before he put his head back down. Edgeworth scratched the dog behind the ears. He had Pesu for twenty-seven years now. Edgeworth always took good care of Pesu so he had lived much longer than he was supposed to. Pesu really was a man's best friend. He was Edgeworth's best friend. In times like these, Edgeworth would tell things to Pesu that he couldn't tell his wife or even Phoenix. He was an invaluable companion.

"Hey, boy," greeted Edgeworth. He sat and watched his dog blink before slowly closing his eyes. He couldn't remember how much time had passed when he felt like a cold pit descended in his stomach. He leaned forward and placed a finger in front of Pesu's black nose. He didn't feel the small puffs of Pesu's breath. He placed a hand on the dog's chest.

It felt as though his heart stopped along with Pesu's.

When he picked up Pesu, the lifeless form of his friend seemed much lighter; the warmth of his body slowly starting to fade. Edgeworth brought him out into the backyard. He took a shovel and started pulling up grass and dirt, drops of tears hitting the ground as he went.

(- -)

"Miles! We're home!" announced Franziska.

"Whoopee…" mumbled Richard, following his mother into the living room.

"Miles?" Franziska caught sight of her husband sitting on the couch. He was slumped over, his head hung low. In his hands, he was clutching an old, worn out collar.

She reached out and lightly touched his shoulder. He flinched slightly before easing into her touch.

"Pesu…he died earlier this afternoon…" Edgeworth said quietly.

Franziska's face fell. She glanced at her son's heavy face before wrapping her arms around her husband.

Richard stared at his father. He almost thought it was pathetic to see him like this. Miles Edgeworth, the demon prosecutor who was always so cold and stern, was reduced to grief and tears. Richard walked out into the yard where he saw the grave. He crouched down and touched the ground.

Pesu had always been around, even way before he was born. Richard's earliest memories were with Pesu. He let Richard ride him as a baby. Pesu kept wagging his tail no matter how many times Richard tried to grab it. Franziska used to tell her son that when he cried as a baby, Pesu used to howl in order to calm him down. When he was a kid, he thought Pesu was the best pillow ever. When he was alone with the dog, Pesu would sit and stare at him. Richard told him everything: school, family, his girlfriends… Pesu understood. He'd lay his head in his lap in times of comfort, bark to agree or show his happiness, and offer a paw whenever. Above all else, Pesu never betrayed a single secret.

Richard lowered his head, rubbing his eyes. No, his father wasn't pathetic. He was human.

(- -)

**(August 28, 2043, Friday)**

Franziska rolled out of bed. She glanced at her husband. His back was facing her. Three days had past since Pesu died. Edgeworth had become detached from the rest of the world. He took those three days off. She didn't know how long he was going to be like this. She could have slapped her husband and yell at him to snap out of this grief.

_Pesu is just a dog_.

She never could say something like that. Pesu wasn't just a dog. He was a member of the family. She knew that Edgeworth and her son talked to the dog and spilled their secrets to him. She thought the very idea was stupid…for a time.

One night, Edgeworth and Richard were out. She was cooking dinner for herself. Pesu sat down in the kitchen just stared up at her. Maybe it was the patience and peacefulness in his eyes, but Franziska started talking to him. She told little stuff such as what she liked. She told him what she really thought of her family. Her husband was a great man, and she felt so silly compared to him. Despite how much Richard could be an ass, she still loved her son very much. She knew about her father's crimes, and she thought he got an appropriate punishment, but she still loved him. Her friends were all strange, but she liked spending time with more than she let on.

Franziska swore she saw Pesu smile as he wagged his tail when she was done speaking. She scratched him behind the ears and gave him an apple to eat.

She glanced back at her husband and pressed her lips to his temple.

(- -)

**(September 18, 2043, Friday)**

Franziska hesitantly glanced down at the box in her arms and then at her husband. She turned around and handed the box to Richard. She gently touched Edgeworth's arm. His eyes flickered up at hers. He had so quiet for the past several weeks. He rarely said anything anymore, and it seemed like his eyes were empty.

"I got you something," she said softly. "If you don't want it, I can always return him."

Surprise and confusion sparked in his eyes, but he didn't say anything.

Franziska stepped to the side to allow her son to set the box on the ground. The box rustled a little. Edgeworth frowned and extended a hand to open up the cover. There was a bark. Edgeworth was startled and he leaned forward to get a better look. A Golden Retriever puppy stared up at Edgeworth. He wagged his tail and barked again.

"We're not asking you to replace Pesu," said Franziska. "We just thought that you needed someone new to talk to."

For the first time in several weeks, Edgeworth smiled. He reached a hand out to scratch the puppy behind the ears.

"Hm…" mumbled Edgeworth. "I christen you 'Peso.'"

(- -)

Edgeworth had been sleeping when he was woken up by Peso's whining. As he peered over the edge of his bed, the puppy was sitting down in front of its new master. His tail moved back and forth as he stared up at him with big, chocolate eyes. With a small groan, he swung his feet over the bed and onto the floor.

"All right, let's go out."

Peso followed after Edgeworth. He slid the glass door to the backyard open and let the puppy roam around for a bit. Peso happily romped around the open space as he sniffed for a place to do his business. When he was done, he trotted back to Edgeworth and let out a sharp bark.

Back indoors, Edgeworth sat down on the couch. Peso sat down in front of him and wagged his tail. He chuckled and scratched his new dog behind the ears. He was so much like Pesu. He glanced at Pesu's tattered collar on a bookshelf. They were alike, but they weren't the same. No one could replace Pesu, and the least he could do was keep his memory alive and make new memories with Peso.

Edgeworth grinned. "I'll buy you a new collar tomorrow, okay?"

Peso barked.

* * *

I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY!

You may have been wondering where I have been for the past several months. Shortly after posting the last chapter, I started college as a sophomore. I didn't know that school would take up so much of my time, but it did. I only had four classes, but one of them occupied my _life_. I did post a few one-shots and a chapter of another story, but the one-shots were done in record time during periods of procrastination and that chapter was nearly complete anyway. I know you're wondering why I'm posting this on a Friday instead of the regular Sunday, but it's because I'm now done with the semester and I finally have my life back, but I'm going back to my Mother Country for vacation for almost three weeks. So, I'll try to update on Sundays again after New Years.

This chapter has been pretty hard to write because I kept getting all emotional over writing Pesu's death. I remember reading that one of the creators of PW said that Edgeworth's emotional well being probably depended on Pesu. Since Edgeworth now has a wife and a son, his emotional state wouldn't rely solely on Pesu, but that doesn't mean that he wouldn't be so affected.

Soooo, I'll try to update again in January. I shall brainstorm while on vacation! I don't want to start making chapters that keep going into the future, although I already have a chapter planned out for a teenage Will, James, Aurora, and Alex. (You know. Richard and Lotte's kids.)

Next chapter: No matter how much Klavier knows women, he doesn't know his daughters too well.


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